


| 










PHYSICAL RELATIONS 


ee AND THE 


oo 


MC OVAL OF THE NAVIGATION DAMS 


- -'WITH SUPPLEMENT 


pasta, ON THE 


ee A Waterway Relations of the Sanitary and 
ss Ship Canal of Chicago 


BY 


LYMAN E. COOLEY 


“Sess es. 


+\ 
“\\N 


AUGUST, 1914 











DATE DUE 


— 
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ON 


DEC 





Demco, Inc. 38-293 


ILLINOIS STATE LIBRARY 






Bae? OL43SS47? 5 


THE ILLINOIS RIVER 


PHYSICAL RELATIONS 


AND THE 


REMOVAL OF THE NAVIGATION DAMS 


WITH SUPPLEMENT 


ON THE 


Waterway Relations of the Sanitary and 
Ship Canal of Chicago 


BY 


EY MAN £2 COOLEY 





AUGUST, 1914 





CLOHESEY &CO. 
PRINTERS 
102 N. FIFTH AVENUE 
CHICAGO 


SA 





PREFACE. 


This document was prepared by my instructions 
of August last in compliance with the suggestion of 
the Governor of this State, the Honorable Edward F. 
Dunne. A manuscript copy was sent by request to 
the Governor on May 19th, and thereby became a 
public document. The preparation and publication 
of the matter has been delayed by reason of the press 
of other duties on the office of Consulting Engineer. 

The primary purpose is to set forth the pertinent 
facts relating to the removal of the navigation dams 
in the Lower Illinois River, and increasing the ea- 
pacity of the stream-bed, between Utica and the Mis- 
sissippi River. The general purpose is to develop 
the physical conditions in the [llinois Valley in rela- 
tion to the sanitary problem of Chicago and the deep 
waterway. Something more than a year ago, the 
District issued the brief entitled ‘‘The Diversion of 
the Waters of the Great Lakes by way of the Sani- 
tary and Ship Canal of Chicago,’’ and this is a com- 
panion document dealing with these waters and their 
utilization in the passage through the Illinois Valley 
to the Mississippi River. 

The District does not assume any responsibility 
for the opinions and conclusions herein expressed, 
but issues this document as a matter of public infor- 
mation and commends it to the consideration of all 
who may feel concern. 

THomas A. Smytu, 


President. 
August 31, 1914. 





EXPLANATION. 


Hon. THomas A. Smytu, President: 


In accordance with your instructions, I called upon 
the Governor, the Hon. Edward F. Dunne, at Spring- 
field, in August last, in reference to the removal of 
the dams in the Lower L[llinois River and the improve- 
ment of the stream. The Governor advised the prep- 
aration of a brief which should set forth the material 
facts and which he could refer to the Canal Commis- 
sioners pending a hearing. I was then directed by 
you to prepare such a document and I herewith sub- 
mit the same. 

I have endeavored to make the report so com- 
plete and comprehensive that the subject matter 
would be finally disposed of. Much time and pa- 
tience has been required and other duties have in- 
tervened, all of which have occasioned delay. The 
questions involved are grave and invite early action. 

In considering this report, if greater detail be de- 
sired, reference can be made to the following docu- 
ments: 


Further Testimony, Special Joint Committee, 
General Assembly of Illinois, April 7, 1887. 


Lakes and Gulf Waterway, Citizens Association, 
Chicago, January, 1888. 


Lakes and Gulf Waterway, as related to the Chi- 
cago Sanitary Problem, August, 1890. (Official 
S. D.) Published by subscription May, 1891. 


The Lakes and Gulf Waterway, 1907. Report of 
the Internal Improvement Commission of Illi- 
nols. 


eo Te 


vl 


‘*Reclamation’’—Association of Drainage and 
Levee Districts of Illinois. Address at Peoria, 
July 18, 1911. Published by Association. 


Hearing before U. 8S. Senate Committee on Com- 
merce, April 16, 1912. 


Other documents which relate less particularly to 
the Lower Illinois are referred to in the text. 


Respectfully submitted, 


Lyman E. Coorey, 


Consulting Engineer. 
Chicago, January, 1914. 


Since the foregoing report was prepared, it has 
been deemed expedient to complete the document by 
adding thereto a study of the conditions below Hav- 
ana in relation to the Federal dams. Duties in con- 
nection with the Federal case and special investiga- 
tion have greatly delayed the preparation of the ad- 
ditional matter. L. E. C. 


April, 1914. 





CONTENTS. 


A—GENERAL. 
Topie. Page. 
ee EUErOEPsENOte LVI BASIN... 2.00. eect n ces eer ncenes 1 
Descriptive. 
Exhibit, The Illinois Valley. 


Sees Pert WATMOR ROUTE. cick cutee cece en eeees 1 
Descriptive. 
The Main Channel of the Sanitary District. 
The Upper Illinois. 
The Lower Illinois. 
Overflow Lands. 
Volume of Floods and Low Waters. 

Exhibit, General Profile, Illinois River. 


eee Gress OF THE ILLINOIS OUTLRT... 0.0.65. cece ee 3 
The Chicago Divide. 
Physical and Historical. 
The Alluvial Lands. 
Evolution of Modern Stream. 
The Upper Illinois. 
Remnant Conditions. 

Exhibit, the Profile of Lake Joliet. 


oY 6 a 6 
eee ee ELISE ODTRES . os avicle's visieleie ticles eee be ess ceces 7 
itera anyY DISTRICT OF CHICAGO.......0..6.. 0005 10 


Capacity of Main Channel. 
Pee eeee ere DULINOIS RIVER. 2... 0.0 cece cew ecw css ecedses 11 
Status of Improvement Project. 
B—THE ALLUVIAL VALLEY OF THE ILLINOIS. 


Pee PAV Weis BimIINOIS RIVER. : 0. cccccvcccwccvsccveneeces 13 
River-bed and Floods. 


9. THE CHARACTER OF THE VALLEY LANDS.............. 15 
Excerpts from Official Reports. 


vill 
Topie. Page. 
10. THE AREA OF THE VAULLEY.......0.00ocss>s<> eee 17 
Tables. 
Width of the Valley. 
Tributary Watersheds. 
Alluvial Deposits, Location. 


11, THE DURATION OF FROODS i... oe. pes eeg: oeeeee 21 
The Low Water Stage. 
The Run-off. 
Contributions from Lake Michigan. 


12. THE RECLAMATION OF THE BOTTOM LANDS............ 24 
Tables. 
The Fisheries. 
Improved Sanitary Conditions. 


13. THE DAMAGES FROM OVERFLOW. ......2-.2 2.25000 28 
Tables. 
Early Value of Lands. 
Rules of Law. 


C—THE UPPER DIVISION OF THE LOWER ILLINOIS, 
UTICA TO HAVANA. 


14, THE ALLUVIAL: VAMGRY «3.00.0. 14S oe woe 
Resume of Leading Facts. 


oo 
io 


Summaries and Tabulations. 


15. THE DAMS AND LOCKS. . 2.90. 22piene ape oe ea ae eee 34 
The Henry Dam and Lock. 
The Copperas Creek Dam and Lock. 
The Natural Low Water Plane. 
The Expenditures. 


16. THE SHRINKAGE OF THE RIVER-BED.........:.:+.0556" 40 
Material Filling of the River-bed. 
Bank-full Capacity. 
Tabulation. 
Federal Reports and Discussions. 
Exhibit, Profiles of Illinois River 1867-1903. 


17... THE EFFECT ON STAGE. oo. 55550 ce vce esis as a eee 46 
The General Assembly. 
Resolution of 1861. 
Wilson Reports of 1867. 
Aberts’ Determination in 1866, Tabulation. 





Topic. 


18. 


19, 


20. 


21. 


22. 


23. 


ix 


Marshall’s Estimate of 1890. 

Cooley’s Estimates of 1887-90, Tabulation. 
Ernst Board of 1905, Tabulation. 
Experience with Steady Flow, 1904. 


Experience with Increment of 5,000 second feet, 
Tabulation. 


Estimate or Increment for 10,000 second feet, 
Tabulation. 


Exhibits [see Topic 16]. 


LEGISLATION FOR THE REMOVAL OF THE STATE DAMS 
The Legislation of 1889, History of. 


roe ae Oe THE STATE DA Ma io. sty alesse cre ceeeds 
The Issues in Court. 
Hearing Before U. S. Senate Committee. 
Consent Decree, Sanitary District and Canal Commissioners. 


ees Or THE SALIENT FACTS. ... 2... .0c cece es cicass 


D—THE LOWER DIVISION OF THE LOWER ILLINOIS, 
HAVANA TO GRAFTON, 


NR ME BM PE VAIS UCP Geile! sp g'e ole sib ws bias leaicls sea gec eee ae 
Low Water of the Mississippi. 
Resume of Leading Facts. 
Summaries and Tabulations. 


IRR A A YAINTEN SG yi clt 4 wieiaies cd So Mino. Siite's es s.a eee se vy 
La Grange Dam and Lock. 
Kampsville Dam and Lock. 
Expenditures. 


2 eo AGE OF THE RIVER-BED.... 1... ccc cc cccnes 
Change in River-bed. 
Bank-full Capacity. 
Exhibit, Profiles of 1867, 1879 and 1902-3. 


AM Oe RPE POL AREEG, Sindee eden sasustectineaceuses 
Estimates of Stage due to Various Increments. 
Experience with Steady Flow. 
Exhibit [see Topic 23]. 


Page. 


56 


60 


rat 


80 





Topic. 

25. THE REMOVAL OF THE DAMS. u). i csecee> sess eee 
Deep Water Projects. 
Reports of Special Board of 1911 and 1913. 
Authorized Increment of Water Sufficient. 

26. FLOOD CONDITIONS: <5. 00s ve eaeseweiieean 4s ee 89 
Back-water Stages from the Mississippi. 
Characteristic Floods in the Illinois. 

27. A SUMMARY OF THE SALIENT FACTS.......-s0e-s00nee 93 
28. CONCLUSION (in nine numbers): ..:55.:. 090) eee 96 
APPENDICES. 

1. Expenditures on Illinois River............. Loe baie One 103 

2. Flow Record, A, Main Channel of Sanitary District........ 105 

B, Dllinois and» Michigan Canal’... eos 106 

3. Tilinois River Basin ‘at Peoria.....2.5.. 2.5 +2se eee 107 
SUPPLEMENT. 


THE WATERWAY RELATIONS OF THE SANITARY AND 
SHIP CANAL OF CHICAGO. 


1. An Increment of Water for the River Improvement............. 109 


2. Bederal Reports’: i. .6:0.l5 50). 2h cds). ie ate eee ater eis = aerieren 111 


3. Experience with Steady Plow... 60... -eh eee sans eee 
4. The Shrinkage of the River-bed.. 2) .c..6--.-.5- «=+ +s =e 1144 
5. The Deep Waterway... slic \l an boar esi: oes 116 
6. Deep. Water. Promotidh.. cio: ..2. 5 eas ee ee vase ole 118 
7%. Action Delayed .........+.+: Waid Git «sree aie a he 119 


THE ILLINOIS RIVER. 





A—General. 


1. The Illinois River Basin comprehends, in 
round numbers, twenty-eight thousand (28,000) 
square miles, an area equal to half of the State of 
Illinois. It embraces the head of Lake Michigan, 
from which it is separated by a narrow margin, and 
extends southwesterly to the Mississippi River above 
St. Louis. The easterly arm is represented by the 
Kankakee Basin with an area of three thousand six 
hundred (3,600) square miles in the State of Indiana, 
and the northerly arm is represented by the Fox 
and Desplaines Basins with an area of one thousand 
and sixty-eight (1,068) square miles in the State of 
Wisconsin. The topography is gentle and rolling 
and substantially within a range of four hundred 
(400) feet in altitude. 


The surface in nature is largely prairie with 
wooded stream lines and increasing woodland to- 
ward the north and with a large proportion of 
swamp and wet prairie. No other basin of equal 
area in the United States is richer in soil resources. 


The water supply is so far consumed by the veg- 
etal cover in the growing season, that little is left 
for the streams and this little has been diminished 
by drainage and reclamation, as observed in a Fed- 
eral report as early as 1867-8. 


2. The Illinois Water Route from Lake Mich- 
igan at Chicago by way of the Chicago Divide and 


2 


the Desplaines and Illinois River to the Mississippi 
River at Grafton, has a length of three hundred 
twenty-seven (327) miles. The Illinois River proper 
begins at the confluence of the Desplaines and Kan- 
kakee near the Will County line and fifty-four (54) 
miles from Lake Michigan. 


The Main Channel of the Sanitary District, inelud- 
ing the Chicago River, covers some thirty-nine (39) 
miles across the Chicago Divide to the Desplaines 
River at dam No. 1, Joliet, reaching a level of forty- 
two and four-tenths (42.4) feet below standard low 
water of Lake Michigan. 


The Upper Illinois, including fifteen (15) miles of 
the Desplaines River below dam No. 1, covers the 
rock-bound valley from Joliet to Utica, a distance of 
fifty-eight (58) miles, with a declivity of one hun- 
dred four and six-tenths (104.6) feet to the natural 
low water level at Utica bridge, taken at one hundred 
forty-seven (147) feet below Lake Michigan prior to 
the construction of the Henry dam. 


The Lower Illinois covers the alluvial valley two 
hundred and thirty (230) miles from Utica to the 
Mississippi River at Grafton, with a natural decliv- 
ity of only twenty-eight (28) feet, or one and one-half 
(14) inches per mile. The Upper Illinois covers 
about eighteen per cent. (18%) of the total distance, 
from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi, with only 
eleven thousand eight hundred and twenty-nine 
(11,829) acres of land subject to overflow, while the 
Lower Illinois covers seventy per cent. (70%) of the 
total distance with three hundred forty-nine thou- 
sand two hundred and ninety-seven (349,297) acres 


under the flood of 1844 and outside of the fixed water 
areas. 









INCLUDING 


DRAINAGE DIVERSION 
FROM 
LAKE MICHIGAN. 


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The Low Water Volume is taken at six hundred 
and thirty-three (633) second-feet at La Salle in the 
earlier Federal reports, but subsequent low waters 
have been estimated as low as three hundred to four 
hundred (300 to 400) second-feet and these volumes 
are usually double below the Sangamon. Extreme 
low water of dry season occurs when lakes and 
marshes, particularly those of the Fox and Kan- 
kakee, are drained, but otherwise the low water vol- 
ume is well sustained. 


The flood volume has reached a measured volume 
of seventy-three thousand, seven hundred and 
thirty (73,730) second-feet at Morris; ninety-three 
thousand six hundred (93,600) second-feet at La 
Salle; and one hundred seventeen thousand (117,- 
000) second-feet at Pearl near the mouth. 


The Profile hereto attached shows the distances 
and elevations, the river bed and high water lines, 
between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River at 
St. Louis. 


3. The Genesis of the Illinois Outlet is the key 
to present physical conditions. The Tolleston 
beach, represented by the west ridge at Evanston 
and Rose Hill, corresponds to a lake level some 
thirty (30) feet higher and a flow twenty (20) or 
more feet in depth over the rock floor at Lemont, 
and a volume of water not greatly different from 
that of the present Niagara. The valley excavation 
was completed to Utica on the lower grade of a 
mighty volume, but the work was in progress above 
Utica with declivities and pools according to the re- 
sisting strata. The lake dropped to a level of six- 
teen (16) feet or more corresponding to the Evans- 


4 


ton beach, and again to a level of seven (7) or eight 
(8) feet, corresponding to the Englewood beach, in 
which the floor of the outlet was barely awash. The 
modern level was lowered about one foot in 1886-90 
by the erosion of the head of the outlet at Port 
Huron. 


The Chicago Divide on the rock floor above Le- 
mont was less than eight (8) feet above the low 
water of 1847 (Chicago Datum) and three (3) feet 
above the high water of 1838. The Desplaines River 
found its way from Lyons to Lake Michigan across 
the floor of the old bay, but eventually deposited 
a barrier in the vicinity of Kedzie Avenue with a 
minimum elevation of ten (10) to eleven (11) feet 


above Chicago datum, which overflowed whenever 


the Desplaines River rose two to three feet above 
the old rock floor at Lemont. This divide continued 
unchanged down to 1854. The old Desplaines River 
bed survives in the South Branch of the Chicago 
River and in the depression and sloughs between 
Kedzie Avenue and the Desplaines River known as 
Mud Lake and to the early voyageurs as ‘‘ Portage 
Lake,’’ and ‘‘La petite Lac.’’ These conditions de- 
termined Indian movement, the exploration of Joliet 
and Marquette in 1673, the ‘‘Illinois Route’’ of the 
fur trade up to the removal of the Indians in 1833-6 
and the shifting of the northern boundary of Illi- 
nois when admitted as a state in 1818. The construc- 
tion of the drainage canal, opened in 1900, and the 
completion of the river diversion in March, 1909, 
have permanently divorced the Desplaines River as 
a flood tributary to Lake Michigan. 








gg lad a aa * = ~~ = a a 


260 











== ae TS. = 
LAKES-TO-THE-GULF_ DEEP WATERWAY Ag20016TI0N, - CHI CAG O TO Ss sli L OUIS 
CONSULTING ENGINEER. OVERFLOW LANDS, ILLINOIS VALLEY. COMPILED FROM OFFICIAL SOURCES, 


UPPER ILLINOIS,... JOLIET TO UTICA..._._________TOTAL AREA____11,829,0 a SCALE, 
HORIZONTAL, 
2. 8 

















° 
, 
MILES 





LOWER ILLINOIS, _UTICA TO MOUTH OF RIVER. 2 » 
AREA IN RIVER-BED } 
AREA IN PONDS & BACKWATER..49,4045 A. 1 > VERTICAL, 


Se eee 
J} TOTAL 78,215,9 ACRES. 

AREA UNDER FLOOD, 1904. ___ caer eoeon JANUARY, 1910. 
ADDITIONAL “ n 1844 (APPROX.) _ 63,644.09 A. en 
TOTAL AREA. 399,297, 0 ACRES. 
at TOTAL AREA OVERFLOW,. 361, 126,0 ACRES. 


S THE MEAN ae LAKE MICHIGAN FoR EIGHT MONTHS (APRIL TO NOVEMBER) OF 1847 
y LOW WATER I819=—1.93. HIGH WATER 1838= 4.74. & 














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IBOFEET ABOVE GULF oF MEXIi 


















































ORAWH BY THOS F PARRY 








5) 


The Alluvial Lands of the Valley represent the 
spoils of the uplands deposited in the bed of the 
old outlet. Below Utica the modern stream is a sur- 
vival shifted to the side opposite detritus-bearing 
tributaries, with large inter-spacial lakes, ponds and 
sloughs. A remnant of the ancient stream-bed sur- 
vives in Lake Peoria, a mile in width, with an aver- 
age of three-fourths mile for seventeen (17) miles, 
which has not yet been suppressed by contributions 
from above. The Lower Illinois River is not a nor- 
mal expression of river forces, its banks are rela- 
tively low and its bed is ill-formed or in process of 
formation. Nature requires an era to shrink to a 
fit the bed of its great ancestor. 

The Upper Illinois Valley-Lands are compara- 
tively limited and the deep pool, ten and one-half 
(104) miles in length between Sugar Island and 
Kickapoo Reef in the Morris-Marseilles reach, is a 
survival. The Desplaines River is still more prim- 
itive. The ponds and expanses of the twelve (12) 
mile level between Lyons and Lemont were but par- 
tially filled. There was little alluvium on the rock 
floor from Lemont to Joliet, and Lake Joliet and 
Lake Dupage are obvious remnants of the old outlet. 


The Profile from dam No. 1 at Joliet, to the con- 
fluence with the Kankakee River, shows the depths 
from the earliest surveys by John B. Preston, 1857- 
8, to the latest by the Barlow Board in 1899. Lake 
Joliet is a rock-bound pool excavated at the foot of 
rapids having a descent of over seventy (70) feet. 
It has an average width of six hundred (600) feet 
and a length of five and four-tenths (5.4) miles, while 
the ‘‘oldest inhabitant’’ gave it a depth of forty (40) 
feet. The comparative profiles of bottom show the 


6 


rapid deterioration which has occurred since tillage 
became general, but we have no information respect- 
ing conditions since the Drainage Canal was opened 
in 1900. 


4. The Population immediately concerned in 
the Illinois Route is as follows: 


FEDERAL Census, 1910. 


Sanitary District 

of Chicagos.ix sues 2,206,771 00,039 2,311,810 
Illinois Valley, 

10-Mile Limit ..... 208,679 237,149 445,828 
Illinois Basin 

Additional ........ 158,652 991,263 1,149,915 

TS ta soc cole are oe 2,624,102 1,283,451 3,907,553 


Total, State 
ot. Tings si) ean 3,476,929 2,161,662 5,638,591 


= 


The Santary District population is forty-one per 
cent (41%) of that of the State, and its Urban popu- 
lation sixty-five per cent (65%) of that of the State. 


The Illinois Route population (Sanitary District 
and the ten-mile limit) is forty-nine per cent (49%) 
of that of the State, and its Urban population is sev- 
enty-one per cent (71%) of that of the State. 

The Illinois Basin population (including that of 
the Sanitary District) is sixty-nine and one-half per 
cent (694%) of that of the State, and its Urban pop- 
ulation is seventy-five and one-half per cent (753%) 
of that of the State. 

The Indiana-Calumet population in the Urban dis- 





Tue Sanitary District or Cuicaco. 


ConsutTtme ENGINEER. 





DESPLAINES RIVER 


FROM 


JOLIET To ILLINOIS RIVER. 


ee 
COMPARISON OF RIVER-BEDS AND FLOW-LINES SINCE 1657-8. 
Es hCUlCSC:C<;7;3 3 }SEC 


SCALES. 


VERTICAL _.. 
DECEMBER, J913. 


. 


QUPAEE 71VER- 
SACK SON CHEE 


SMITHS BRIDGE 


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i 
K 


CEOA 


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BRLOW CHICAGO CITY DATUM 


ISLAND 


s6UTNn 
CHANNEL. 


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OA 


THALWEG 1899____-___ BARLOW BOARD, US. 
BENYAURD, 


eee LR AO -..n 
<<: eee BST B....s.->,_--~ JONM B. PRESTON. 
FILLING BETWEEN 1883 AND 1899 SHADED. 


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50 From Cricaso Licht. 45 





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7 


trict adjacent to the State line has a related inter- 
est and numbers sixty-four thousand nine hundred 
forty-eight (64,948), located in Hammond, Whiting, 
East Chicago and Gary. 

The Population Data manifest the paramount im- 
portance of the Illinois Route and of everything 
concerning its development. 


5. Surveys and Reports respecting the [llinois 
Route, in whole or in part, have been made as fol- 
lows: 

(1.) 1823-36, Illinois and Michigan Canal—Sun- 
dry surveys and projects for location, treatment and 
capacity, beginning with Post and Paul, 1823-4. 

(2.) 1838, Lower Illinois River—Examination and 
report on low water improvement by Capt. How- 
ard Stansbury. 

(3.) 1857-8, Illinois Route—Lake Michigan to 
Mississippi River—Maps, profiles and notes by the 
late John B. Preston, bought for the State of Illi- 
nois by Governor Oglesby in 1866 and placed at the 
disposal of the Federal engineers. Preston is cred- 
ited with the steamboat project adopted in later 
reports. 

(4.) 1861, Illinois Route—Examination by Canal 
Trustees ordered by the General Assembly. Report 
not found. 

(5.) 1866-7, Illinois Route—Lake Michigan to the 
Mississippi River. Examination and report by Gen- 
eral J. H. Wilson (February 15, 1867), based largely 
on the Preston data. Steamboat Channel seven (7) 
feet deep. 

(6.) 1867-8, Illinois Route—Lake Michigan to the 
Mississippi River—Report and project by Wilson 


8 


and Gooding (December, 1867), from new surveys 
and data in 1867. Locks seven (7) feet deep. 

(7.) 1874-5, Lake Michigan to Hennepin, survey 
by Col. J. N. Macomb—Northern Transportation 
Route, ete. Depth seven (7) feet and above. 

(8.) 1879-80, Lower Illinois River, Copperas 
Sreek to the mouth—Survey and report by Capt. J. 
G. Lydecker on project for Federal dams at La 
Grange and Kampsville. Locks seven (7) feet deep. 

(9.) 1882-3, Illinois and Michigan Canal—Report 
by Major W. H. H. Benyaurd on enlargement to con- 
form to the Hennepin Canal Project. 

(10.) 1883-4, Upper Illinois River—Joliet to La 
Salle. Survey and Report by Major W. H. H. Ben- 
yaurd on project for river improvement; lock depth 
seven (7) feet. 

(11.) 1886-7, Chicago to Mississippi River by 
Hennepin Canal Route—Report of Comstock Board 
(U. S.) favors improvement of river from Joliet to 
La Salle. | 

(12.) 1889-90, Upper Illinois River, Lockport to 
La Salle—Survey and Report by Capt. W. L. Mar- 
shall on fourteen-foot project with general discus- 
sion of Illmois Route. Survey of 1883 used below 
Joliet. | 

(13.) 1899-1900, Upper Illinois River, Lockport 
to La Salle—Surveys and Report by Barlow Board 
(U. 8.) and opinion on feasibility of fourteen (14) 
foot waterway for the Illinois Route. 

(14.) 1902-5, Illinois Route, Lockport to St. 
Louis—Survey and Report by Ernst Board (U. 8.) 
on fourteen (14) foot project with estimate of cost. 
Survey exhaustive and cost two hundred thousand 
dollars ($200,000). 


3 


(15.) 1907, Lakes and Gulf Waterway—Internal 
Improvement Commission of Illinois—Review of 
data and project for an ultimate depth of twenty- 
four (24) feet, with water power development, Lock- 
port to Utica, and progressive development in the 
Lower Illinois for depth greater than fourteen (14) 
feet. This Report underlies the Constitutional 
Amendment of 1908. 

(16.) 1907-9, Lakes and Gulf Waterway—lEHxam- 
ination and Report by Bixby Board (U. 8.) on four- 
teen (14) foot project, St. Louis to Gulf—Project of 
Ernst Board (1905) followed, Lockport to St. Louis. 

(17.) 1910-14, Lake Michigan to Cairo and Lake 
Levels—Special board on co-operation with Illinois 
and on certain dams in the Mississippi River. Pro- 
visional Report of February 9, 1911, which was with- 
drawn by President’s Message of December 21, 1911, 
and board continued by Congress for conference 
with a properly constituted agency of the State of 
Illinois. The General Assembly has made no pro- 
vision for such conference. The final report, August 
15, 1918, passed the Reviewing Board, February 17, 
1914, and was available to the public in May, 1914. 

(18.) 1886-1913, The City of Chicago and the 
Sanitary District of Chicago have made special and 
elaborate surveys and examinations respecting phys- 
ical conditions between Lake Michigan and the Mis- 
sissippl River and the sanitary relation of the deep 
waterway project. 


Collateral and supplemental examinations and re- 
ports, in addition to the above, have been made by 
the United States, the State of Illinois and municipal 
agencies. The data have also been digested in rela- 


10 


tion to economic problems by a number of voluntary 
associations. 


6. The Sanitary District of Chicago was organ- 
ized under ‘‘An Act to Create Sanitary Districts,’’ 
ete. (in foree July 1, 1889). The Main Channel of 
the District was defined in a deep waterway speci- 
fication and is declared to be a navigable stream. 
This Act and its Amendments, contemporary legisla- 
tion respecting State dams and the joint resolutions 
of 1889 and 1897, define a deep waterway policy for 
the Llinois Route, to be worked out through the aid 
of a large water supply from Lake Michigan at Chi- 
cago and without obstructing dams in the alluvial 
river below Utiea. 

The Main Channel of the Sanitary District has a 
length of thirty (30) miles between the waters of the 
Chicago River at Robey Street and the water power 
plant between Lockport and Joliet, a depth of twen- 
ty-four (24) feet or more, and a capacity of fourteen 
thousand (14,000) second-feet, except seven and 
eight-tenths (7.8) miles in the clay between Summit 
and Robey Street, which is subject to progressive 
development. This section had an original capacity 
of sixty per cent (60%) of the completed channel, 
but is now undergoing enlargement. A deep chan- 
nel has also been made for two and one-tenth (2.1) 
miles from the power plant to the Upper Basin at 
Joliet, and the river improved thence to Lake Joliet. 
The Chicago River improvement, six (6) miles in 
length, between Robey Street and Lake Michigan, is 
nearing completion, and this, together with the 
Thirty-ninth Street conduit, has an estimated capac- 
ity of ten thousand (10,000) second-feet. Further 
adjuncts, together with the Sag Channel now under 


1 | 


way, will provide for the full capacity of fourteen 
thousand (14,000) second-feet. The capacity of the 
Illinois and Michigan Canal is also available. 

The Preliminary Flow of Water in the Main Chan- 
nel was established January 17, 1900, and the volume 
passing through the same has ranged from thirty to 
sixty per cent (30 to 60%) of its full capacity. The 
Federal Permit was based on the capacity of the 
Chicago River, as determined by various experi- 
mental volumes prior to 1902, and is for four thou- 
sand one hundred sixty-seven (4,167) second-feet. 
The Secretary of War, by virtue of the Act of March 
3, 1899, refused a permit for a greater volume, and 
has enjoined the District (1912) and the issues are 
now in Court. 


7 The Upper Illinois River was taken under 
particular advisement by the State, following the ex- 
haustive surveys and report by the Ernst Board in 
1905. The General Assembly provided for (1905) 
the Internal Improvement Commission, which re- 
ported a revised project in 1907. Four dams and 
pools were to be developed between the power station 
at Lockport and the [Illinois River at Utica, all struc- 
tures to be designed for an ultimate depth of twenty- 
four (24) feet, or for the same depth as the Drainage 
Canal. The Joliet level was to be constructed with 
this depth at the outset, but the three levels below 
were to be progressively developed from a prelimi- 
nary depth of fourteen (14) feet. Water power was 
to be developed at the several dams under public 
ownership. The General Assembly in adjourned ses- 
sion, October, 1907, submitted the Constitutional 
Amendment authorizing the expenditure of twenty 
million dollars ($20,000,000) for waterway and water 


12 


power development in the Upper Lllinois Valley and 
the Amendment was approved by popular vote in No- 
vember, 1908. The promoters of the Amendment es- 
timated that this amount would be sufficient to cover 
the development of the several levels and the water 
power and possibly the bridges. 


The Lower Illinois River improvement was re- 
garded as the province of the general government. 
It was assumed that the contribution of the Main 
Channel of the Sanitary District and the State work 
in the Upper Illinois would assure Federal co-opera- 
ation in the Upper Illinois work and a deep channel 
for the Lower Illinois. Congress actually made a 
conditional appropriation of one million dollars 
£ $1,000,000) in 1910. 

The General Assembly, in October, 1907, also pro- 
vided for action for the removal of water power 
trespassers in the Upper Illinois valley and the de- 
cision of the State Supreme Court in 1909 is now on 
appeal to the U. 8S. Supreme Court.* 


The United States, in 1910, also instituted action 
on its own behalf and the case was submitted in Feb- 
ruary, 1913, and is still under advisement by Federal 
Judge Landis. The Legislature has been indisposed 
to authorize the expenditure of the twenty million 
dollars ($20,000,000) until the character of the 
stream is determined in the court of last resort and 
until the flow of water which makes the deep water- 
way both possible and necessary, is established be- 
yond reeall. 


*Decided June 22, 1914. State of Illinois not the 
proper party to raise the Federal question.—(Kd.) 


13 


B—The Alluvial Valley of the Illinois. 


8. The Lower Illinois River is very direct in 
its course, not greatly exceeding the length of its val- 
ley, and it is two hundred and thirty (230) miles 
from Utica to Grafton. . 


Its natural low water declivity is taken at twen- 
ty-eight (28) feet but varies greatly with the stage 
of water in the Mississippi, where flood stages have 
exceeded in elevation the low water level at Utica. 


The stream bed varies greatly in width and the 
channel is best formed and defined through and op- 
posite the alluvial deposits from tributaries, but else- 
where has a remnant character inherited from the 
old outlet. 


The average low water width, under present con- 
ditions, with the four dams, is one-fifth (1/5) of a 
mile and is distributed as follows: 


= 
a ” 


Distance Average Area 








Location. (Miles) Width (Acres) 
Utica to Lake Peoria (2 miles below 

6 SESE Re eee eee 50.2 866’ 5.307 
hae? ears (to, Peoria) ...... +0003 17.1 3,807’ 7,894 
Lake Peoria to Havana.............. 42.6 602’ —=3,109 
Reeves 8O Tue GANS, 2. 2c cnisie oe 0) 42.2 652’ 3,496 
La Grange to Mouth of River........ 75.6 982’ 9,006 

Rr MR iM Wo sda casa bisa bie se 297:7 28,812 


The Bank Hight above original low water varies 
from eight to fifteen (8 to 15) feet and has a gen- 
eral average of twelve (12) feet, or about half the 
height of extreme flood. 


The Bank Full Capacity of the natural river as 


14 


estimated from measurements made in and prior to 
1889 (Report 1890-U. 8. and Sanitary District) is 
eighteen to twenty thousand (18,000 to 20,000) sec- 
ond-feet down to Havana, increasing to thirty thou- 
sand (30,000) second-feet at La Grange and to forty 
thousand (40,000) second-feet near the mouth; in 
other words, this capacity was from one-fifth to one- 
third (1/5 to 1/3) of extreme floed (omitting 1844 
and 1858) and one-fifth to one-fourth (1/5 to 1/4) 
of what such floods would be under levee control. 
This may be contrasted with alluvial streams like 
the Missouri and the Mississippi, where the bank full 
capacity is about two-thirds (2/3) of the normal ex- 
treme flood. The effect of volume on a stage of 
water is discussed in later topics. 


The Natural Low Water Volume is taken, in the 
later reports, at five hundred (500) second-feet for 
the upper half of the river and one thousand (1,000) 
second-feet below the central basin. (Sangamon 
River, etc.). 

The Flood Hights of 1844 are the greatest of rec- 
ord and may be compared with 1904, which is taken 
as the normal extreme in recent years for the entire 
river. The following figures give range above low 
water: 


Place 1844. 1904 Diff 
Utiea 202 Se ee 20.3" 26.2’ 4.1° 
Peorth 20) ie ee eee 26.9’ ys ly 3.8’ 
IaVans. fii crc eee 21.9’ 19.7’ oe 
Beardstown)... 0.4% aa 22.7’ 20.1’ 2.6’ 
Pea.) 2. 2ce eee 26.5’ 19.5’ 7.0’ 


15 


The flood of 1904 was exceeded by the flood of 1885 
opposite the central basin and the flood of 1913 was 
continuously higher from the central basin to the 
mouth. The flood lines show the effect of the wide 
bottoms opposite the central basin and thence to 
the mouth, in diminishing the flood range; and again, 
backwater from the Mississippi largely increases the 
range of some of the great floods near the mouth. 


The Flood Volume of 1904, as measured at Pearl, 
is one hundred seventeen thousand (117,000) sec- 
ond-feet and the equivalent is estimated at one hun- 
dred fifteen thousand (115,000) for Beardstown, one 
hundred thousand (100,000) for Havana and ninety 
thousand (90,000) second-feet at Peoria and eighty- 
five thousand (85,000) second-feet at Ottawa (Re- 
port of the Ernst Board, U.S. 1905, p. 8). 


9. The Character of the Valley Lands, as de- 
seribed in official reports, is shown by the following 
excerpts: Howard Stansbury, 1838—(U. 8S. Topo- 
graphical Engr.) ‘‘The bottom lands extend from 
one to five miles on each side of the river, seldom 
rising more than a few feet above the level of the 
stream in its ordinary stages, and from the fact that 
they are constantly overflowed, by every freshet, to 
a depth varying from one to fifteen feet, are now and 
must ever remain uninhabited. Hence the river pre- 
sents the appearance of flowing through an ancient, 
vast and solitary forest, clothed with a foliage rich 
and luxuriant beyond description, where solemn 
silence has never been broken, save by the howl of 
the panther, or the still more savage yell of the red- 
man. It was upon this stream that the first settlement 
was made by the French emigrants from Canada, 


16 


and here from the salubrity of the climate, the sur- 
passing beauty of the scenery and the richness of 
the soil, they promised themselves the possession of 
a second paradise.’”? * * * ‘Its banks consist 
almost entirely of very low alluvial bottoms, skirted 
by lagoons or lakes, most of which are connected 
with the river, the whole overflowed by every freshet 
for several miles on each side.’’ Gen. J. H. Wilson, 
February, 1867—(U. S. Engr.) ‘‘With a sluggish 
current * * * the river wanders through a valley 
of swampy land varying in width from one and a 
half (14) to six (6) miles.’’ Again, ‘‘the straight 
reaches are almost invariably deep with a muddy 
bottom, the shallows occur at the elbows, at confluent 
channels and at the mouths of creeks.’’ 


Wilson and Gooding, 1867-8, (Dec. 17, 1867—U. 8. 
Board). ‘‘The depths are reduced almost every sea- 
son, upon the shoals in the bed of the stream, until 
they do not exceed an average of twenty (20) inches, 
thus, in fact, suspending navigation for periods rang- 
ing from sixty (60) to ninety (90) days.’’ 

Again, ‘‘There has been searcely a season since 
the canal was completed, twenty (20) years ago, 
when there has not been a serious interruption to 
navigation, for a greater or less period, from low 
water in the river, and as the country has improved, 
so that the surface water which formerly drained 
more slowly and continuously into our river has 
ceased to afford any considerable supply in summer, 
the evil has become worse.”’ 

Capt. W. L. Marshall, 1890 (U.S. Engr.) : The bot- 
tom lands are ‘‘cut up by numerous sloughs, lagoons. 
and ponds.’’ Again, ‘‘At about the nine (9) foot 


17 


stage * * * the basins and lagoons begin to fill, 
at ten (10) or eleven (11) feet the lowest areas, 
worthless for cultivation, begin to be submerged, and 
at about the twelve (12) foot stage, overflow begins to 
be widespread. At about the sixteen (16) foot stage, 
probably eight-tenths (8/10) of all lands submerged 
at extreme floods are covered with water.’’ Further, 
respecting low water, ‘‘The natural low-water vol- 
ume of the Illinois is gradually diminishing, from 
various causes,”’ ete. 


All Reports give minimum bar depths of eighteen 
(18) to twenty (20) inches. The Wilson Reports 
catalogue forty-one (41) localities with bars of less 
than five (5) feet but find only ten (10) bars of less 
than two and one-half (24) feet as against sixteen 
(16) by Stansbury in 1838. Congress made an appro- 
priation of thirty thousand dollars ($350,000) in 
1852 which was expended in dredging by Col. Joseph 
K. Johnson (late of Confederate fame) in 1854, and 
the results obtained were effective during the Wilson: 
surveys of 1866-7. 


10. The Area of the Valley at an horizon fifteen 
(15) feet above the high water of 1904, substantially 
the foot of the bluffs, is seven hundred and seventeen 
(717) square miles (460,000 acres). The area under 
the high water of 1904 is five hundred sixty-eight and 
fifty-four hundredths (568.54) square miles, (363,870 
acres) of which forty-five and two hundredths 
(45.02) square miles (28,812 acres) are in the river 
bed (Topic 8), and seventy-seven and nineteen hun- 
dredths (77.19) square miles (49,405 acres) in ponds, 
etc., leaving a land area above the low water of 1901 
of four hundred forty-six and thirty-three hun- 


18 


dredths (446.33) square miles (285,653 acres). The 
additional area within the fifteen (15) foot limit is 
one hundred forty-eight and forty-six hundredths 
(148.46) square miles (95,014 acres), two-thirds 
(2/3) of which is presumed to be covered by the flood 
of 1844. The data are compiled in detail from the 
maps of the U. S. Survey of 1903-4 in the Report of 
the Internal Improvement Commission of Illinois for 
1907. The following table gives the results for char- 
acteristic reaches: 


Utica to Havana 
. Havana to La La Grange 
Description. (Spoon Grange to Mouth Valley. 
River) Dam. of River. 
Pestanes. ING. sas tess 109.9 42.2 77.5 229.6 
Baiver Bed, > Acres.5. 5s: 08 16,310 3,496 9,006 28,812 


Ponds, Sloughs, ete., Acres... 20,929 16,258 12,218 49,405 
Lands covered in 1904, Acres 96,021 77,893 111,739 285,653 
Between 1904 and 1844, Acres 

(approximately) ........ 18,180 17,750 27,712 63,642 











Vetaly, Acres? 23 code k was 151,440 115,397 160,675 427,512 


The Width of the Valley varies from one and one- 
half (14) to six (6) miles, and, including forty-nine 
and seven-tenths (49.7) square miles above the flood 
of 1844, the average width within the bluffs may be 
computed from the foregoing figures as follows: 
Utica to Havana, two and twenty-eight hundredths 
(2.28) miles, Havana to La Grange, four and sixty 
hundredths (4.60) miles, and from La Grange to the 
mouth, three and fifty-two hundredths (3.52) miles. 

The Tributary Watershed for the three reaches is 


compiled as follows (compiled from Water Supplies 
of Illinois, 1889) : 


bes, 


Basins Sq. Mi. Sq. Mi. 
Vrren Prrinom River. )............ 10,365 
POO TLAVAINAS 0. bi oes ea ales 0,219 
MeeeTN1ON, MAVET )...5 k...00.a sc 00s 1,317 
aE ee ais wos nang ones 480 
Meremnoe reek oe. le 310 
Praehinaw Hiver jo) .008.6.0. $217 
Siew DT OMAGE sic). cde byes e- 1,895 

Havana To.La GRANGE.............. 9,535 
RP AAW ces does eas nes 1,870 
PeemPammort Terver is oj alesse 5,670 
Pamaed. (reels. 60) Lek yun e ks 1,385 
Breer DRAIN ee oe a ec ee 8 610 

La Grance Dam To THE MouTH...... 2,195 
ICHeers HivVGP i. le. oe ees 472 
PIC TOG harrle sa wens Gu bas 025 
Meameonmn Creek 6544660 sede. 985 
Mee ITAIMGGE 6. fo ees ie te 813 

ipeewors Hiven Basin. ..)...6 66.5655 27,914 


The Ratios of the Areas of land, of the ponds, ete., 
and of the river, to the total areas under the flood 
of 1904, together with the additional area between 
1904 and 1844, are shown as follows: 


Utica to Havana to La Grange 


Description. Havana. La Grange. to Mouth. Valley. 
TOLRA POP COME. 64:0 6 nce' ose os 100% 100% 100% 100% 
Lands above low water, 1901.. 72.2 79.8 84.0 78.5 
Ponds, etc., outside river bed.. 15.6 16.6 9.2 13.6 
Ae ES eee 12.2 3.6 6.8 7.9 
Additional area, 1904-1844..... 13.6 18.1 20.8 17.4 








It will be noted that the aggregate area of land is 
seventy-eight and five-tenths per cent (78.5%), of 
ponds, etc., thirteen and six-tenths per cent (13.6%), 
and of the river bed seven and nine-tenths per cent 
(7.9%). In other words, the water area outside the 


20 


river is nearly double that in the river bed. The ad- 
ditional area between the flood of 1904 and that of 
1844 is seventeen and four-tenths per cent (17.4%). 
Again the proportion of land is least in the upper 
reaches and the same is true of the lands between 
the flood of 1904 and 1844. The proportion of area 
in the river bed is greatest in the upper reach and 
least in the middle reach, while the proportional area 
in ponds is greatest in the middle reach and least in 
the lower reach. 


The Alluvial Deposits are evidently the greatest 
and most systematic in the middle and lower reaches, 
due to more active surface erosion in the central 
basin and lower tributaries, and the impounding ef- 
fect of high stages in the Mississippi. Some thirty- 
four per cent (34%) of the watershed is tributary 
to the middle reach and ten per cent (10%) addi- 
tional to the lower reach and the flood regimen is akin 
to that of the Mississippi and distinctive from that 
of the Upper Illinois; in fact, floods from the central 
basin have backed over the dam at Copperas Creek. 
The floods of 1883 and 1913 were greatly accentuated 
from the central basin to the mouth. 


The Alluvial Deposits in the upper reach between 
Utica and Havana are comparatively meagre as 
shown by the relatively lower bottom lands, large 
pond areas, wide and ill-defined river bed, low deeliv- 
ity and the unfilled expanse of Lake Peoria. The 
Upper Illinois drainage is greater than that of the 
central basin, some thirty-seven per cent (387%) of 
the total, while the drainage locally tributary is only 
nineteen per cent (19%). The unfilled remnant pool 
above Marseilles and the character of the Fox River 
drainage, indicate small contribution of detritus to 


21 


the lower river at Utica. The contributions from the 
two Vermilions, Bureau Creek and local streams, 
two thousand one hundred twenty-four (2,124) 
square miles, together with the supply from the Up- 
per Lllinois, have filled in the valley locally, but in 
a distance of nearly fifty (50) miles between Henne- 
pin and Peoria, the drainage is less than one thou- 
sand (1,000) square miles, and the supply of detritus 
has not been sufficient to produce continuous bottom 
lands and to define the river bed. The effect of the 
tributaries at Peoria and below is most notable in 
producing locally the narrowest and best defined 
river and the activity of Farm Creek has been the 
subject of Congressional inquiry, but in the approach 
to Havana the conditions existing above Peoria are 
resumed. 


11. The Duration of Floods is greatly pro- 
longed owing to the small capacity of the stream bed 
and the limited heights of banks in comparison with 
normal rivers. For every day the river is out of 
banks in the upper river at Morris (ten feet above 
low water) the river is out of banks (twelve feet 
above natural low water) for six (6) to eight (8) 
days between Peru and Copperas Creek and twenty 
per cent (20%) longer at La Grange, the period in- 
creasing down stream through non-coincident floods 
from the central basin and back water from the Mis- 
sissippi. The reclamation of the overflow lands will 
produce a profound change in the flood regimen. 


The Low Water Stage for a period of eleven years 
prior to the erection of the federal dams was less 
than two (2) feet above extreme low water for an 
average of forty-two (42) days at Copperas Creek 


22 


which may be taken as a measure for the upper half 
of the river, and sixty-two (62) days at La Grange 
which may be taken as the measure for the lower 
half of the river. The ordinary dry weather flow has 
been affected through the reclamation of swamps and 
in later years has been sustained largely by the great 
swamp areas in the Kankakee Basin and by the lakes 
in the Fox Basin and also by the large pondage in the 
bottom lands. When these are drained in long dry 
periods, extreme low water follows, but is usually of 
short duration. 


The eventual drainage of the Kankakee marsh sys- 
tem and the reclamation of the bottom lands and 
ponds may be compensated, in some degree, by sub- 
surface flow, but in any event, a profound change will 
be produced in the low water regimen. 


The Extreme Low Water volume of dry years is 
about one-half of one per cent (4 of 1%) of the aver- 
age yearly runoff, a most remarkable condition in 
the humid region, and this evidences the consuming 
power of vegetal cover and the paucity of sub-sur- 
face flows, due to impermeable sub-soils. 


The Runoff of the Illinois Basin varies greatly 
with the climatic, surface and vegetal conditions, and 
with the years. Changes due to reclamation and til- 
lage have been noted in official reports (See Topic 9; 
also Topic 15) and a difference in flood regimen 
seems to be made out for the last half of the period 
of inhabitation but no sufficient data have been gath- 
ered respecting runoff. The report of the Internal 
Improvement Commission of [llinois for 1907 as- 
sumed the average run-off at three-fourths (}) see- 
ond-feet per square mile or intermediate between 


23 


that of the upper Mississippi Basin and the Lake 
Basin, but later figures have reduced the Lake Basin 
determination so that seven-tenths (7/10) second- 
feet per square mile would be a better assumption. 
Mr. Jacob Harmon (State Board of Health—Report 
on Sanitary Investigations 1901) determined the run- 
off at Peoria for the ten-year period 1890-9, prior 
to the opening of the Sanitary Canal at Chicago. The 
basin area is taken at thirteen thousand, four hun- 
dred and eighty square miles (13,480) and the nor- 
mal rainfall is given at thirty-three and fifty-two 
hundredths (33.52) inches. The average flow is found 
to be eight thousand, three hundred ninety-one 
(8,391) second-feet, equivalent to eight and forty-six 
hundredths (8.46) inches in depth and six hundred 
twenty-two thousandths (0.622) second-feet per 
square mile. Lake Michigan water through the I[li- 
nois and Michigan Canal is taken at six hundred 
(600) second-feet which would reduce the flow from 
the basin to seven thousand seven hundred and nine- 
ty-one (7,791) second-feet equivalent to seven and 
eighty-six hundredths (7.86) inches in depth or five 
hundred and seventy-six thousandths (0.576) second- 
feet per square mile. This decade represents the 
lowest rainfall and the most remarkable drought 
which has occurred since inhabitation and the re- 
sults are below normal. It appears that the average 
run-off is about half bank full capacity of the stream 
in its original condition. 

Contributions from Lake Michigan have been made 
since the [linois and Michigan Canal was opened in 
1848. The Acts of Congress of 1822 and 1827 au- 
thorized a new outlet, or rather, the partial restora- 
tion of the old one (Missouri case U. S. 200, p. 518). 


24 


The Summit level of the canal was fed in part 
through a pumping station at Bridgeport, but the 
Summit level was cut down in 1865-71 according to 
the original plan, and the flow of water finally estab- 
lished by gravity. This flow was reinforced by pump- 
ing works at Bridgeport in 1881-6, which continued 
in operation after the Main Channel was opened Jan- 
uary 17, 1900. The yearly average flow through the 
Main Channel of the Sanitary District has been as 
follows: 








Cubic feet 
Year— per second. 
TOO co. cece ctaae hee hee 2,989 
TOOT bod) rata ee eee 4,041 
LOO Pe eee ee 4,302 
1 908 hate ae Sees cee 4,971 
LOGS vc psrainlt ace teeta teehee 4,693 
DOOD a os 412 stare leh na a eee caer 4,477 
TOG ie pase psd ieee ae 4,471 
TOOT) boss oe eee eee 5,117 
POOR. Succidi ash Reider are 5,317 (approx. ) 
1909) 3 Gey ahaa ene 5,666 i 
TORO | o's donk weed eee nee 5,966 sie 
POAT 3.6152 \nce adi 4 epee eee 6,453 
POTD Heil sole cee teen 6,377 
PON 4c b5 3 Ca ae ere eee 7,193 





12. The Reclamation of the Bottom Lands is a 
recent undertaking. In 1838, Capt. Stansbury ex- 
pressed the opinion that they must ‘‘ever remain un- 
inhabited.’’ In 1867, Gen. Wilson states: ‘‘This 
may be true, until a denser population gives a suf- 
ficient value to the land to justify a reclamation by 
levees. Already, cultivation has begun to encroach 
on the bottoms.’’ In 1890, Capt. Marshall reports, 
‘A large area of the higher parts of the bottoms 


25 


is cultivated whenever not submerged before seed- 
ing time, and the cultivated area is annually increas- 
ing.’’? Prior to 1900, a number of areas were en- 
closed by levees, but it is only within the last decade 
that these works took on a substantial character and 
have been supplemented by pumping works, thus es- 
tablishing a standard practice. The districts usually 
enclose areas of several thousand acres, between 
tributaries and fronting on the river. The present 
extent of these districts is given by Mr. Jesse Lowe 
(organizer and first president of the Drainage and 
Levee Association of Illinois), Beardstown, Illinois, 
under date of December 24, 1913. 


DRAINAGE AND LEVEE DIstTRICTS. 











Utica to Havanato La Grange to 


Lands. Havana. La Grange. Mouth River. Valley. 
No. Acres. No. Acres. No. Acres. No. Acres. 











meer OVER 2+... ....5- J 34,700 10 30,100 11 94,300 30 159,150 

















Undergoing Reconstruction .. ...... 6 49,400 2 3,700 8 53,100 

Organizing and in Progress 1 3,000 2 11,385 ae WE es 3 14,385 

LO are 10 37,750 18 90,885 13 98,000 41 226,635 
Area under H. W., 1844, 

including Ponds ....... 935100 il) TADOOt er ce) 151,669. ,.,.. 398,700 

Excluding 

River Bed 

Reclamation Percentage... .. 28% .. TOG ‘jan 65% 57% 


The districts now under levee, aggregate one hun- 
dred fifty-nine thousand, one hundred and fifty (159,- 
150) acres or thirty-nine per cent (39%) of the total 
bottom lands between the river bed and the H. W. of 
1844. The second item, fifty-three thousand one hun- 
dred (53,100) acres represent districts under the 
Farm Drainage Act that are putting in pumping 


26 


plants or building or reconstructing levees, one-half 
(4) of which is estimated to be now under levee. The 
total under levee and in progress is two hundred twen- 
ty-six thousand, six hundred and thirty-five (226,635) 
acres or fifty-seven per cent (57%) of all the lands 
between the river bed and the H. W. of 1844. Expe- 
rience shows that the average cost of complete 
reclamation by means of levees and pumping works 
is about fifty dollars ($50.00) per acre, so that the 
full development of the districts above scheduled 
represents an investment above the cost of the land 
of over eleven million dollars ($11,000,000). The 
law allows an annual assessment of one dollar 
($1.00) per acre to cover maintenance and opera- 
tion, and this item is usually less. So large a restric- 
tion of the overflow area must materially affect the 
flood height and this may have contributed to the 
extraordinary height of the flood of 1913 in the sec- 
ond (2d) and third (3d) reaches as well as the un- 
usual run-off of the central basin and the lower tribu- 
taries. 

The Fisheries in.the Waters of the Illinois are the 
richest in the United States, apart from the sea. 
Prior to the opening of the Drainage Canal in 1900, 
the yearly catch varied from six (6) to fourteen (14) 
million pounds, but was unreliable by reason of long 
drought or ice cover, through which the oxygen con- 
tent was exhausted and fish hfe decimated. The 
maintenance of a large volume of water has made a 
reliable industry and the catch had grown to forty- 
six million (46,000,000) pounds (census 1908) with a 
value of over eight hundred thousand dollars 
($800,000) on the banks and double to the consumer. 
This represents more than ten'dollars ($10.00) per 


27 


acre for all the water space in the Illinois Valley. 
Prof. Stephen A. Forbes, Chief of the Natural His- 
tory Survey of Illinois, has otherwise stated the 
value as representing half a dollar yearly for each 
foot in the length of the Illinois River below the junc- 
tion of the Desplaines and Kankakee. Prof. Forbes 
has further stated that the plankton in Illinois wa- 
ters has multiplied from two (2) to three (3) times 
per unit of volume, but the yearly volume passing 
Peoria is now nearly double the average natural flow 
so that the basis for fish food is actually multiplied 
from four (4) to six (6) times. /Fish culture in China 
is eloquent as to the results which may be accom- 
plished through the fertilization of waters. (‘‘ Farm- 
ers of Forty Centuries’’, p. 93-5, King.) The State 
Fish Commission already controls certain ponds and 
back waters as spawning and feeding grounds and 
Prof. Forbes recommends that the State acquire and 
maintain certain reservations for this purpose in 
order that this source of wealth shall not be de- 
stroyed through the reclamation of all overflow lands 
outside the river bed, and improvement and restric- 
tion of the river bed itself for purposes of naviga- 
tion. He also calls attention to the dams, especially 
at La Grange and Kampsville, in limiting fish migra- 
tion. Sound economic policy will therefore limit 
reclamation for agricultural purposes and this will 
be conservative, not only of the wealth in fisheries, 
but will mitigate, in some degree, the overwhelming 
heights of floods which would follow the restriction 
of all waters to the immediate channel of the river. 

Improved Samtary Conditions throughout the Des- 
plaines and Illinois Valley are only secondary in im- 
portance to the benefits at Chicago. The systematic 


28 


reclamation of overflow lands and the improvement 
of river beds is a radical contribution to the salubrity 
of the valley, its cities and adjacent uplands, and the 
maintenance of a large and uniform volume of water 
has the same relative value to the urban population 
for sewage disposal that it has for the Sanitary Dis- 
trict of Chicago. 


13. Damages from Overflow occasioned by the 
increment through the Drainage Canal is a liability 
against the Sanitary District and the plaintiff may re- 
cover his reasonable attorney’s fees in case the judg- 
ment of the court exceeds the tender of the District 
(See. 19, Act to create Sanitary Districts, ete.) The 
amount paid in damages to December 31, 1912, for 
the entire river below the head of Lake Joliet, was 
one hundred forty-nine thousand, seven hundred 
and four dollars and fourteen cents ($149,704.14), 
which includes twenty thousand eight hundred and 
three dollars and seventy-six cents ($20,803.76) for 
removing two (2) feet from the crest of the Kamps- 
ville Dam and two thousand and seventy-eight dol- 
lars and forty-five cents ($2,078.45) for land ae- 
quired along Lake Joliet. The Engineering Depart- 
ment has expended three hundred ninety-nine thou- 
sand, two hundred seventy-four dollars and forty- 
eight cents ($399,274.48) in the investigation of cou- 
ditions and preparation for defense in the Des- 
plaines and Illinois Valley. In addition, the Legal 
Department has expended large sums in defending 
suits which are not separately returned. The entire 
expenditure is between five hundred thousand ($500,- 
000) and six hundred thousand dollars ($600,000). 


The Claims Pending in Court, December 31, 1912, 
were as follows: 


29 


ee 





Permanent Temporary 
Divisions. Damage. Damage. Total. 


No. No. No. 
Brice, tO Havana... ...... 2% 0% 122 $2,474,400 46 $ 434,900 168 $2,909,300 
Havana to La Grange........ 2 33,330 108 1,118,350 110 1,151,680 
La Grange to Mouth of River. 5 469,000 1 10,000 6 479,000 





oS at ee re 129 $2,976,730 155 $1,563,250 284 $4,539,980 


The claims in process of adjudication number two 
hundred and eighty-four (284) and amount to four 
million, five hundred thirty-nine thousand, nine hun- 
dred and eighty dollars ($4,539.980). The addi- 
tional claims preferred but not yet entered of suit 
will raise the total to about eight million dollars 
($8,000,000). It will be noted that the claims pertain 
most largely to the first reach, which contains the 
State dams and in which reclamation schemes are 
least developed, and further, the claims are least in 
the reach below La Grange, in which the Kampsville 
Dam has been cut down by two feet under a Federal 
permit, authorized by the joint resolution of Con- 
gress, April 21, 1904. Nothing was done at La 
Grange which controls the levels in the second reach 
in which the claims in court aggregate one million 
one hundred fifty-one thousand, six hundred and 
eighty dollars ($1,151,680.00). 


The Early Value of the lands was nominal, as may 
be inferred from citations heretofore given. The re- 
port of the undersigned in 1890 (Lakes & Gulf Wa- 
terway, 1891) based on extended inquiry, placed the 
value of these lands between two million five hun- 
dred thousand dollars ($2,500,000) and three mil- 
lion seven hundred thousand dollars ($3,700,000). 
A special party from the Engineering Department of 


30 


the Sanitary District made an exhaustive reconnais- 
sance of several months in 1890 and again after the 
great flood of 1892 and placed the value of the lands 
at two million dollars ($2,000,000) to three million 
dollars ($3,000,000). In 1906-7, H. M. Schmoldt, 
lumber manufacturer, Beardstown, Illinois, (Mem- 
ber, Internal Improvement Commission) estimated 
that seventy-five thousand (75,000) acres would 
maintain a yearly output at his mills of four million 
(4,000,000) feet B. M. and that land values would 
have justified the investment a few years before had 
it then occurred to him. The purchase of all the 
overflow lands was actually mooted by the first Chief 
Engineer of the Sanitary District. It is interesting 
to note that the increased value of the fisheries which 
has followed the increment of water represents a re- 
turn on many times the original value of the over- 
flow lands. The Acts of Congress of 1822 and 1827 
authorized the Illinois outlet (Missouri Case, U. S. 
200-518) prior to the sale of any of these lands and 
presumably they are under servitude. The tentative 
report of the special Board of Engineers, of January 


23, 1911, (H. R. 1374) contends that Illinois is bound 


by the Acts of 1822 and 1827, in its larger waterway 
purpose. 


The Rules of Law governing the determination of 
damages have been defined by the Supreme Court as 
follows: 


In the case of Jones v. Sanitary District (252 Ill. 
591) the court held that the continuance or operation 
of a permanent structure is not necessarily injurious 
to land, but may or may not be so, depending upon 
whether the land was so situated that it might or 


31 


might not be damaged by the use and operation of 
Sanitary District works. The court held further, 
that the plea of the statute of limitations did not 
aver that the injury sued for was permanent and 
that therefore a recovery could be had for dam- 
ages sustained by the plaintiff for a period of five 
years prior to the beginning of the suit. 

In the case of Brockschmdt v. Sanitary District 
(260 Ill., p. 502) the court held that the duty of 
widening and deepening the I[llinois River was not 
intended by the legislature to be cast upon the Sani- 
tary District; that the Illinois River being a naviga- 
ble stream and in part obstructed by Federal dams 
at La Grange and Kampsville, it could not be pre- 
sumed that the legislature intended to compel the 
Sanitary District, among its other duties, to remove 
these dams. In other words, when the District had 
constructed its Main Channel of the flowage capacity 
required by its organic act and the work had been 
approved by the Commissioners appointed under 
Section 27 of said act, and the Governor had issued 
his permit to turn the water therein, it had complied 
with the requirements of the law. The Court held 
further, that the District having constructed and 
opened its channel as aforesaid was conclusive of 
the fact that the channel was not negligently con- 
structed and therefore all the damages occasioned 
by reason of the construction of the channel and 
the flowage of the water therein, constituted a perma- 
nent injury within the meaning of the law for which 
the injured party must recover, once for all, in one 
action, and that a plea of the statute of limitations is 
a good defense to any action not brought within five 
years from the date of the opening of the Main Chan- 
nel of the Sanitary District. 


32 


C—The Upper Division of the Lower Illinois, 
Utica to Havana. 


14. The Alluvial Valley of the Illinois begins 
at Starved Rock, about one and one-half (14) miles 
above Utica Bridge, and this location has usually 
been taken as the site of the first lock in the Upper 
Illinois project. The Utica bridge, however, is gen- 
erally taken as the convenient point of division be- 
tween the upper and lower valley. 


The Upper Division of the Lower Illinois extends 
from the Utica Bridge to Havana, a distance of one 
hundred nine and nine-tenths (109.9) miles, with a 
natural low water declivity of eight and two-tenths 
feet (8.2 feet), or nine-tenths (9/10) of an inch per 
mile. 

The average low water width of the river by the U. 
S. Survey of 1903-4 was: Utica to Peoria Lake, fifty 
and two-tenths (50.2) miles, eight hundred sixty-six 
(866) feet; Peoria Lake, seventeen and one-tenth 
(17.1) miles, three thousand eight hundred and seven 
(3,807) feet; Peoria to Havana, forty-two and six- 
tenths (42.6) miles, six hundred and two (602) feet. 


The natural low water volume has been taken at 
both six hundred (600) and five hundred (500) see- 
ond-feet in official projects and lower volumes have 
been estimated. 


The average run-off has been taken at seven-tenths 
(0.7) second-feet per square mile of watershed which 
would give nine thousand four hundred and thirty- 
six (9,436) second-feet for Peoria, (13,480 sq. mi.), 
but the average run-off passing Peoria in a dry dec- 
ade, 1890-99, omitting canal water, was estimated 


Oo 


(Harmon) at seven thousand seven hundred and 
ninety one (7,791) second-feet with a minimum of 
two thousand seven hundred and thirty-eight (2,738) 
second-feet in 1895. 


The flood volume in 1904 was estimated at 
ninety thousand (90,000) second-feet at Peoria and 
this flood was the most characteristic and uniform 
since 1844 and has been taken as a standard. 

The bank full capacity of the natural riverbed 
prior to the erection of the state dams has been esti- 
mated at eighteen thousand (18,000) to twenty thou- 
sand (20,000) second-feet. 

The Area under the flood of 1844 has been esti- 
mated as follows: 


Acres. 
Lands between 1844 and 1904........ 18,180 
memcrneer F904... ebb is ess: 96,021 
Paes, SOUS, CLCs yo eves baw oes 20,929 


Riverbed, including Peoria Lake... .16,310 
Total, 151,440 acres or 236.6 sq. mi. 


Reclamation Work developed or now in progress 
is as follows: 





County. Districts. Acres. County 


Acres 
yl ah Se ee PRBO BIT 660: «64,012,000 2,500 2,500 
Wi OORURT MF ia's S5 so ig sty ol): Sh ne 3,000 3,000 
Sg SN Ee nee Pekin and La March... 2,500 2,500 
Fulton and Peoria...... Banner Special ....... 5,000 5,000 
PEON! Fe sea tie Avy aidis << = Otter: Croek ;¢..:...5%'.. 3,700 
shy (Organized) ....West Matansas ...... 3,000 6,700 
iu eek ea MEW EROTIB oi wbicn sale 750 
Beh A iat Se Hatha. tans Si ce ae 1,200 15,950 
eae Va haares « atathete:s Spring Lake ......... 14,000 
MME, 2 0) anata bv Maid ad Bogon TAVOE .. 6 disse os 2,100 2,100 


o+ 


Damage Claims against the Sanitary District 
under adjudication are as follows: 




















Counties. No. Permanent. No. Temporary. No. Total. — 
La Salle .... 29 $ 629,500 3 $31,000 32 $ 660,500 
Bureaw. cxvcinanedbt 346,600 4 7,500 18 354,100 
Putman ..... 17 288,000 21 227,500 38 515,500 
Marshall, 4...) 633 588,300 3 13,000 36 601,300 
Woodford ... 3 28500 5 76,400 8 104,900 
Peoria ...... 12 132,500 2 17,000 14 149,500 
Tazewell ..,.«,. 13 411,000 «iar. a les ier eee 13 411,000 
Multon ..'.90% 1 50,000 8 62,500 9 112,500 

Potaly:. . 2 22 $2,474,400 46 $434,900 168 $2,909,300 


The Ratios of leading quantities of the upper di- 
vision to the whole valley are as follows: 


Item— Per Cent. 
All areas under flood of 1844, ...)...2 3-207 30.4 
Lands only under flood of 1904; >. .-7 22.9) eee 33.6 
Ponds, sloughs, ete. (Low water of 1901)....... 42.3 
Riverbed, including Lake Peoria (Low water of 

TOO) 5 nook ce oe ty oe al pee ee 56.6 
Reclamation (Area in Drainage and Levee Dis- 

EVTCES: sic 2 3:5, 0.5 4 sid eso, lean essen ae Rn 16.6 
Damage Claims: 0.450). 24 22092 63.8 


It will be noted that this division includes about 
one-third (1/3) the lands, one-half (4) the water, 
one-sixth (1/6) of the reclamation and two-thirds 
(2/3) the claims for damages. 


15. Dams and Locks in aid of navigation have 
been built by the state at Henry and Copperas Creek, 
thirty-three and five-tenths (33.5) miles and ninety- 
two and eight-tenths (92.8) miles respectively below 
Utica bridge and six and five-tenths (6.5) miles less 
below the mouth of the Illinois and Michigan Canal 
at La Salle-Peru. 


The Henry Dam and Lock was constructed under 
authority of an Act approved and in force February 


30 


28, 1867, amended by an Act approved and in force 
February 25, 1869, said Act appropriating surplus 
canal revenues for the construction of a dam and 
lock between La Salle and Peoria, said lock to be not 
less than three hundred fifty (3850) feet in length 
and seventy-five (75) feet wide, and otherwise pro- 
viding a scheme of co-operation with the United 
States for the development of a through waterway. 
The dam was closed October 19, 1871, and the water 
eovered the crest on October 29, and the lock was 
available for navigation. The low water of 1871 at 
this point is five-tenths (0.5) foot below the low 
water of 1867 and has since been used as the low 
water plane and is one hundred fifty and five-tenths 
(150.5) feet below Chicago datum by the survey of 
1902-4. The crest of the dam is five hundred forty 
(540) feet in length and is six and five-tenths (6.5) 
feet above the low water of 1871, the depth at the 
lower mitre sill is five (5) feet below the low water 
of 1871 and the depth on the upper mitre sill is 
five and five-tenths (5.5) feet below the crest of the 
dam. The record low water at La Salle-Peru is in 
1867, three and eighty-eight hundredths (3.88) feet 
on the lower mitre sill at lock 15, and one hundred 
forty-seven and eight-tenths (147.8) feet below Chi- 
cago datum by the survey of 1902-4, thus giving 4 
low water declivity of two and seven-tenths (2.7) 
feet in twenty-seven (27) miles between the mouth 
of the canal and Henry. The crest of the Henry 
dam is three and eight-tenths (3.8) feet above this 
low water and the gauge records indicate an addi- 
tional elevation at La Salle-Peru of two-tenths (0.2) 
to three-tenths (0.3) feet from declivity. The Utica 
low water level, six and five-tenths (6.5) miles above 


36 


has been taken at three and five-tenths (3.5) feet 
above low water at Henry and one hundred forty- 
seven (147) feet below Chicago datum, or three (3.0) 
feet below the crest of the Henry dam. The decliy- 
ity elevation at the bridge is not ascertained, but ap- 
pears to be four-tenths (0.4) to five-tenths (0.5) feet 
one and one-half (14) miles below. 

The Illinois and Mississippi Canal (Hennepin) en- 
ters the pool nineteen and four-tenths (19.4) miles 
below the Utica bridge and is twelve and nine-tenths 
(12.9) miles below La Salle-Peru. The low water 
elevation of 1871 at the canal entrance is one hun- 
dred forty-nine and one-tenth (149.1) feet (Approx.) 
below Chicago datum. ‘The lower mitre sill of the 
first lock (canal bottom) is one hundred forty-nine 
and seven-tenths (149.7) below Chicago datum, or 
six-tenths (0.6) foot below natural low water and 
five and seven-tenths (5.7) feet below the crest of the 
Henry dam. The official depth of the canal is seven 
(7) feet. (Official Map, Lllinois and Mississippi 
Canal, Hennepin, 1908—Hennepin datum is four 
hundred thirty-four and three hundred fifty-five 
thousandths (484.355) on Memphis datum as used 
on survey 1902-4). 

Copperas Creek Dam and Lock was constructed 
under authority of an Act approved April 17, 1875, 
and in force July 1, 1873, said Act appropriating 
surplus canal revenues (including Henry lock) for 
the construction of a dam and lock, said lock to be 
no less than three hundred fifty (350) feet long and 
seventy-five (75) feet wide as part of a scheme for 
improvement of the river by five (5) dams and locks. 
The United States co-operated by constructing the 


Oo” 


foundations for the lock (see below). The dam was 
closed October 21, 1877, and the water covered the 
erest on October 22 and the lock was then available 
for navigation. The low water of 1873 at this point 
was five-tenths (0.5) foot (assumed to be the same 
as at Peoria and Henry) below the low water of 1867 
and has since been used as the low water plane and 
is one hundred fifty-four and three-tenths (154.3) 
feet below Chicago datum by the survey of 1902-4. 
The crest of the dam is six hundred and forty (640) 
feet in length and is six and twenty-five hundredths 
(6.25) feet above the low water of 1873, the depth 
of the lower mitre sill is five (5.0) feet below the 
low water of 1873 and the depth on the upper mitre 
sill is six and twenty-five hundredths (6.25) feet be- 
low the crest of the dam. The declivity at low water 
of 1873 (same as 1871 at Henry) was three and eight- 
tenths (3.8) feet in fifty-nine and three-tenths (59.3) 
miles, of which seventy-two hundredths (0.72) feet is 
in thirty-three and eight-tenths (33.8) miles between 
Henry and Peoria. The crest of the Copperas Creek 
dam is two and forty-five hundredths (2.45) feet 
above the low water of 1871 and 1873 at Henry, four 
and five-hundredths (4.05) feet below the crest of 
the Henry dam and seven and forty-five hundredths 
(7.45) feet above the lower mitre sill. At extreme 
low water the additional depth from declivity ap- 
pears to be three-tenths (0.3) to five-tenths (0.5) 
foot by the gauge records. 


Below Copperas Creek to Havana, seventeen and 
one-tenth (17.1) miles, the declivity is nine-tenths 
(0.9) foot (155.2 feet below Chicago datum) by the 
low water of 1879 which corresponds to 1873 at Cop- 
peras Creek. 


38 


The La Grange Dam and Lock, U. S., is fifty-nine 
and three-tenths (59.3) miles below Copperas Creek 
dam, and was completed 1889-90. Its crest is seven 
and four-tenths (7.4) feet above low water of 1879 
and corresponds to a level one-tenth (0.1) foot below 
low water at Copperas Creek. The declivity at 
low water in 1893 and 1894 was one and twenty- 
seven hundredths (1.27) feet with five-tenths (0.5) 
foot on-dam at La Grange, and one and sixty-five 
hundredths (1.65) feet low water at Copperas 
Creek. Water at crest of La Grange dam thus cor- 
responds to one and fifteen-hundredths (1.15) feet, 
more or less, at Copperas Creek. 


The Natural Low Water Plane generally referred 
to is that of 1867 from Utica to La Salle-Peru ; 1871— 
from La Salle-Peru to Henry; 1873—Henry to Cop- 
peras Creek dam, and 1879—below Copperas Creek, 
the same constituting a continuous low water line 
without break at points of division. The low water 
of 1871 at Peoria is one hundred fifty-one and twen- 
ty-two hundredths (151.22) feet below Chicago 
datum, which corresponds to the low water of 1873, 
1874 and 1875, but as the Copperas Creek dam was 
closed in 1877, later dates are not available at this 
point. The low water of 1871 was five-tenths (0.5) 
foot below the low water of 1867, and one and four- 
hundredths (1.04) feet below the low water of 1866, 
1852, 1845 and 1838, as shown by a permanent record 
on the bridge pier at Peoria (U. 8. Survey, 1902-4). 
It thus appears that low water at Peoria underwent 
a radical diminution after 1866, notwithstanding a 
material increment from Lake Michigan after the 
eanal deepening in 1866-71 and the Bridgeport 





39 


pumping works, erected in 1883-6. The record be- 
low Copperas Creek dam (1877) gives the low water 
of 1879 the same as 1871 and 1873, but the low years 
of 1894 and 1895 are masked by the Federal dams at 
La Grange (1889-90) and Kampsville (1893), and the 
Sanitary District increment masks the low water 
after 1899. It will be noted, in this connection, that 
the Wilson-Gooding Report of 1867-8 (U. 8.) refers 
to a diminished low water due to upland reclamation, 
and Capt. W. L. Marshall in the report of 1890 rec- 
ognizes the same condition; further, that a change in 
the fiood regimen at Morris is indicated in the re- 
port of 1890 by the undersigned (Lakes & Gulf Wa- 
terway, 1891.) 


A Depth of Seven Feet is not provided for by the 
State dams as ordinarily assumed and stated. The 
upper mitre sill at Henry is actually five and five- 
tenths (5.5) feet below the crest of the dam, but the 
zero of the upper gauge was set for six (6) feet on 
the theory of half (4) a foot of water on the dam. 
The lower mitre sill at Henry is seven and forty- 
five hundredths (7.45) feet below the crest of the 
Copperas Creek dam and the low water declivity 
adds three-tenths (0.3) to five-tenths (0.5) foot. The 
upper mitre sill at Copperas Creek is six and twen- 
ty-five hundredths (6.25) feet below the crest of the 
dam, and the lower mitre sill is four and nine-tenths 
(4.9) feet below the crest of the dam at La Grange, 
but the low water declivity here adds one and twen- 
ty-five hundredths (1.25) feet, more or less, giving 
a depth of six and fifteen hundredths (6.15) feet, 
depending, however, on the depth at the La Grange 
dam and intervening declivity. The State Project 


4() 


was for a depth of six (6) feet, corresponding to 
the [llinois and Michigan Canal, and this depth is 
mentioned as the depth to be had when the dams are 
removed under Section 23 of the ‘‘ Act to Create San- 
itary Districts,’’ ete., in force July 1, 1889. 


The Expenditures by the State from the surplus 
canal revenues in the construction of the dams and 
locks were: Henry, four hundred thousand dollars 
($400,000); Copperas Creek, three hundred and 
forty-seven thousand, seven hundred forty-seven dol- 
lars and fifty-one cents ($347,747.51); total, seven 
hundred and forty-seven thousand, seven hundred and 
forty-seven dollars and fifty-one cents ($747,747.51). 
In addition, the United States constructed the foun- 
dation of the Copperas Creek lock at a cost of sixty- 
two thousand( three hundred and fifty-eight dollars 
and ninety cents ($62,358.90), and dredged the bars in 
the pool above and some auxiliary work, at a cost of 
ninety-five thousand, seventy-four dollars and twen- 
ty-nine cents ($95,074.29), more or less. Congress, 
March 2, 1907, appropriated fifty thousand dollars 
($50,000) for channel improvement above Copperas 
Creek, of which seven thousand, three hundred and 
ninety-eight dollars and forty-three cents ($7,398.43) 
was still available June 13, 1913. The State ex- 
pended for operation and maintenance of the dams 
and locks prior to 1890 the sum of seventy thousand, 
eight hundred and seventy-one dollars and eighty- 
five cents ($70,871.85). (See appendix for detail.) 


16. The Shrinkage of the River Bed is shown 
by the profiles of different surveys and by compara- 
tive estimates of the bank-full capacity. 


=a 


41 


The Profiles of Record between Utica and Hav- 
ana are those of John B. Preston, 1857-8, the Wilson 
profile of 1867, and the profile of the Ernst Board 
from soundings made in 1903 (Survey of 1902-4). 
The Preston profile (printed in the preliminary re- 
port of General J. H. Wilson in 1867) shows cor- 
rectly the general character of the river, but a 
careful study thereof indicates that the soundings 
are too infrequent and not sufficiently located for 
close comparison. The profile from the Federal sur- 
vey of 1867, both by the report and by critical ex- 
amination, appears to show the river bed accurately 
in the natural condition and before considerable 
change had occurred through the inhabitation of the 
basin. The profile of 1903, corrected for thalweg, 
shows the river bed thirty-six (36) years later and 
thirty-two (32) years after the closing of the Henry 
dam and twenty-seven (27) years after the closing 
of the Copperas Creek dam. These two profiles are 
platted to the same scale and plane of reference and 
are shown on the exhibit hereto attached, together 
with a number of flow lines referred to later. 


A Material Filling of the River Bed is shown in 
the thirty-six (36) year interval, 1867-1903, and is 
depicted in black on the exhibit. It appears that deep 
filling has occurred in pools and broad waters and 
that the same is relatively small or absent on shoals 
and narrow places and that this filling is accentuated 
near the dams, below the mouth of tributaries and at 
the head of the Henry pool near Utica, where the 
Upper Llinois dumps its load. Scour has occurred 
in localities, particularly between Chillicothe and the 
head of Lake Peoria, which may be ascribed to ice 
gorges, which are known to occur in that stretch. 


42 


Loeal filling approaches or is above natural low 
water and in deep reaches ranges up to ten (10) feet 
or more. The average fill between Utica and Havana, 
one hundred nine and nine-tenths (109.9) miles is 
two and six-tenths (2.6) feet out of the average 
natural low water depth of eight and seventy-six 
hundredths (8.76) feet, or thirty per cent (30%) of 
the depth (See Exhibit) shown on the profile of 1867. 
The fill is least in the reach of seventeen and one- 
tenth (17.1) miles between Copperas Creek and Hav- 
ana, one and seven-tenths (1.7) feet out of nine and 
two-tenths (9.2) feet, but the La Grange dam was 
not closed until 1889-90 and its backwater effect on 
this reach is nominal. The fill is greatest in the broad 
expanse of Lake Peoria, seventeen and one-tenth 
(17.1) miles and averages five and six-tenths (5.6) 
feet out of eleven and seventy-five hundredths 
(11.75) feet in depth, or forty-eight per cent (48%). 
Judging by the bottom profile of 1883 and 1899 in 
Lake Joliet (See Exhibit, topic 4) the filling occurred 
most largely in the latter half of the period and this 
is borne out by a study of the bank-full capacity 
and by local observation to the effect that tributary 
contributions were impounded in the tributary 
backwater and did not reach the pools created by 
the dams for a number of years. (Lakes and Gulf 
Waterway, 1891.) 

The Bank Full Capacity taken uniformly at twelve 
(12) feet above natural low water, is not known for 
the natural condition of the river prior to the erec- 
tion of the dams. The following estimates are based 
on actual measurements of volume and the depth of 
flow over dams, and are to be taken as an approxi- 






en “Te ot : 
: 
> 
ys me et a ee pe eee ee ce ete 
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ee 
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: 
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SOHO Aah cea a ee om Se Oe See Oe eR em a cee ee de ne eS ~ 









+ 


. - hen pn Se eet 
Oe en ete ee ee eo 


Se ries de ets ee te ee eee oe tee he 


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06 Bw ed wwe a 






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S|.) C2 ESS cee 
’ giptst Se Ne ee RO iwihy. PRERE OUR 
4 sd ee ; ~; A . ‘ a : en Shirk? J — a . a 
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ay oe 
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g2rTAreze : 
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THE SANITARY DIS Cx OF CHICAGO, 
_PEKIN_ __wesiey __ PE _AVERYVILLE. ROME CHILLICOTHE LACON. are = = ae HENNEPIN Senne y) 
DORIA __,ROM! LICO = us JENRY — _ ——o 4 VALLEY PERU LA 
t = EAU LAGALLE 
x 
j j st = = 4 - _ —} = es | i | UTICA aaea ENGINEER, z 
a ws a ee Sera i ra 7 
ee N N i y x . 5 3 t | “s es, E 
aN re. i- re nal ‘aa ay fer nS ae 9 la ce ve ERR ee | if ee 
i Medea se Bee | ia eal mle reat 
hi ate te a es eee ae se Ul eee ty} tL eg df 
x k ry K : & S | 4 5 ie | & 
eee emigser| ene — he ee - | |§ ! ik is N q £ | 3-100 w—t 18 43-44 8 5 a —+—} | ae" | if i 4} i 1-35 a HN a aia 
se s Ske ot RN | 3 ie | ‘ x 
jy 2880 emis Barun le i ta res 3 iS a ee gs ae ae Tue ies Fie = —s 4 : 1 } ' | tier 1M l—t | Hf—\=(o 
| | (di Sa 
4470 : - 2 14 7 x | E jo - wie. Ups SR pel { Wii 7 
Sass] Pam a9 Geel ———]---]-—-----= === == ==] ise F> i es ee ee Vl 
: ceemee o jos 1 am mi SS 2 7 } tr ree peaere BY ae iene 
y ls i es 
~- Ly 
. = : aoe kere he os 
era rae 
to +440 
Baa il have Pe lied 
“ahs na make. 2 \ Career meme - BF Nhat 
} ‘ +420 
- if + 170 
c =te|| =e 7 = 2 , a: | | 4 
+400 \fotiNe! hee . J | | | | | +400 
— = = a } wp a an =] | -190 
| 
_~ < tn oi i ot ee i Fs | Swale +90 
= a I = pa inwe9) EG ——__9 ! | 
é he ALLUVIAL VALLEY oF THE ILLINOIS a 
+ ——S= = = = eo @ FROM Oe~ 5) AAP TE aA 
10,500 SLCONO FEET (1905 PROJECT) ESTIMATED 10,000°500 SF 
UTIGA TO HAY: ANA LOW WATES (904 SAN MUST AMCREVALENT S$, OOO Sf~__ 
—SOMPARIGON OF RIVER-BEDS AND FLOW-LINES BINCE 1667-6 CO ARSE: ME BEES 
= = = > - 
SOALES. LOW WATE - 1067 GENL SH WILSON, FB SECFT 
es — —— = eee | HORIZONTAL, }— —— a sunee LOW WATER —LBI PI B29 US AMG Csranoane) 
VERTICAL, —_}+—— 
= = a = _— = DECEMBER, 1913 THALWEG a anni 903. LMNST MOAR, = av —! 
| THALWEG SS SE 1 I = 
} Ee A wr _ —_— 4 — = _ 














120 ps xo Cneaso Manno Lent LOO Lr ay Thos Pur 90 





43 


mation to conditions of steady flow, but extraordi- 
nary phasing occurs due to the rising and falling 
stages, backwater from lower tributaries and over- 
flow conditions, so that the individual measure- 
ments may be misleading and any estimate is to be 
taken with caution. 





U. S. Geol. Sanitary 











Locality. Marshall. Cooley. Harmon. Woerman. Survey. District. 
1889 1889-90 1900 1902-4 1904 Recent 

La Salle-Peru..s. f. 18,000 SE Stel) wid bw es 13,000 18,000 
Henry ...... NR IE ORO Les. T1000. s .,/. 15,000 
Peoria .. 0... a Sete) seas 19,000 15,000 15,400 17,000 
Copperas Creek ‘‘ SE UTE EME ile Win | d'p oe wa ts bela 
Hevaena,) ...'.: re OT es ee EEE Pe 21,000 20,000 23,000 


The foregoing tabulation is suggestive, rather 
than indicative. The Havana observations suggest 
an expanding capacity through the central basin, to- 
gether with a lower bank hight in the vicinity. The 
Peoria observations of 1900 seem to be excessive in 
comparison with those of 1902-4. Otherwise, there 
seems to have been a general decrease in capacity 
between the time of the observations made ten (10) 
or eleven (11) years prior to the opening of the Drain- 
age Canal and those made soon after, and again an 
increase of capacity appears to be shown by later 
observations, but there has been no recent survey of 
the river bed. The shrinkage in capacity seems to 
have been arrested and reversed by the increment of 
water from Lake Michigan, but the evidence is not 
conclusive. 


The Shrinkage m Capacity during the period of 
thirty-six (36) years between the survey of 1867 and 
1902-4 may be inferred from the data shown on the 


44 


exhibit together with other hydraulic elements, and 
is taken at fifteen to twenty per cent (15 to 20%) at 
the bank-full stage. It would be greater at lower 
stages, and were the dam removed low water could 
not go down to its former level. At flood stages well 
above the banks, the increased hight would be nomi- 
nal, but the flood would be prolonged by reason of the 
diminished capacity of the channel of drainage. In 
ease of reclamation with nominal overflow of bot- 
toms, there would be an effect at all stages, diminish- 
ing with the flood hights, in accordance with hydrau- 
he principles. As the deposits in the river bed have 
occurred most largely in the pools, rather than in 
the shallow reaches and on bars, the effect on the rul- 
ing depth for navigation does not yet correspond to 
the depreciation in hydraulic capacity, but a marked 
change in this respect took place in the interval be- 
tween the investigation of the undersigned in 1890 
and the profile of 1903, as shown by the following 
statement (Lakes & Gulf Waterway, published 1891, 
p. 73): ‘It is probable that when the tributaries 
have readjusted themselves to the new conditions, the 
detritus will be carried through to the river unless 
it is deposited by overflows on the bottoms. The latter 
result is destructive to the bottoms; the former is to 
fill the river bed, until ultimately, if a new adjust- 
ment be possible, the river will establish an equili- 
brium on a higher plane with relatively lower banks 
—destructive alike to the bottoms and to naviga- 
iiom,** 

The Federal Report of Gen’! J. H. Wilson, Febru- 
ary 15, 1867, recommended an improvement by dams 
and locks of the same dimensions as contained in the 


45 


bill then pending in the Illinois Legislature (ap- 
proved and in force February 28) and as later rec- 
ommended by the Board (Wilson & Gooding) in 
their report of December 17, 1867 (1868), was orig- 
inally proposed by John B. Preston in 1858 and con- 
tained in the bill before Congress in 1862, with locks 
of same dimensions, introduced as a war measure. 
This project was the subject of protest in 1868-9 
(Chief of Engineers, 1870) and the United States did 
not again take up the project until after the report 
of Capt. J. G. Lydecker in 1879. The following ex- 
cerpt states the situation. (Lakes and Gulf Water- 
way 1890, p. 6.) ‘‘The plan recommended was the 
occasion of vigorous dissent by two of General Wil- 
son’s assistants, Robt. EK. McMath and Col. H. A. 
Ulffers, and it is said that General Wilson himself 
became convinced that locks and dams below Utica 
were in error. The steamboat men and the interests 
centered at St. Louis were adverse to the plan and 
have so continued and the late Capt. James B. Kads 
is reported to have ealled attention to the mistake 
of damming an alluvial stream of slight declivity.”’ 
General Wilson, in a letter to the undersigned (April 
25, 1888), states, ‘‘I was controlled largely by the 
consideration that it would not be practicable to se- 
gure appropriations for a greater depth, and not by 
the belief that a greater depth would not be de- 
sirable and necessary. * * * The great increase 
of wealth and population of the country will make 
the undertaking less costly, relatively, than I esti- 
mated twenty (20) years ago and vastly more im- 
portant. ’’ 


The improvement of the Illinois River had been 


46 


deterred in Congress by doubt regarding the pro- 
priety of the lock and dam system. (Member of R. 
& H. Committee to undersigned in 1888.) 


17. The Effect on Stage of an increment of 
water from Lake Michigan, in the light of existing 
data, was carefully considered by the undersigned, 
prior to the legislation of 1889 and was set forth 
at length in a report in 1890. (Lakes and Gulf 
Waterway, ete., 1891.) The data respecting the sub- 
ject matter are recapitulated as follows: 


The General Assembly of Illinois in 1861, by a 
joint resolution, directed a survey of the Illinois 
River and its canal connection with Lake Michigan 
for the purpose, among other things, of determining 
the relative utility and cost ‘‘of the different meth- 
ods proposed or desirable for improving the navi- 
gation of the Illinois River by dredging or excava- 
tion of the channel and wing dams, or by supplying 
water from Lake Michigan, through the enlarge- 
ment and deepening of the Illinois and Michigan 
Canal, or otherwise * * * and down said canal 
to a point that will secure a free flowing, ample and 
never-failing supply of water sufficient for the navi- 
gation of the Illinois River at all seasons and times,’’ 
ete. This proposition probably goes back to the Pres- 
ton project of 1858. (Topic 16.) The same propo- 
sition was contained in the bill before Congress in 
1862 and Thad. Stevens remarked ‘‘You will drain 
the lake and find nothing but dry land.’’ The Water- 
way Convention in Chicago, June 2, 1863, urged this 
project as part of an enlarged water route between 
the Mississippi River and the Atlantic seaboard. 
No report under this joint resolution has been found. 


47 


General J. H. Wilson, by department letter of Sep- 
tember 13, 1866, was instructed, among other things, 
to consider ‘‘* * * the solution of the question 
of an adequate supply of water from Lake Michigan 
as a reservoir for the canal and river during periods 
of low water.’’ The preliminary report of February 
15, 1867, in an appendix by Assistant 8. T. Abert, 
discusses the subject and concludes that with an in- 
crement of four thousand five hundred and fifty-five 
(4,555) second-feet, from Lake Michigan and ‘‘by 
the aid of one, or at most two dams (near the mouth), 
together with a small amount of dredging upon some 
of the bars, a navigation of six (6) feet depth can 
be obtained between La Salle and Grafton.’’ Wil- 
son and Gooding in their report of December 17, 
1867 (1868), concluded that the scheme ‘‘is imprac- 
ticable at any reasonable cost,’’ and base their find- 
ings on the cost of the feeding channel across the 
Chicago Divide. It appears that this channel! was 
not well considered, was wide and shallow rather 
than deep, and the cost thereby doubled. This mat- 
ter was fully discussed in the Lakes and Gulf Water- 
way, 1890-1, p. 5. 

S. T. Abert, Civil Assistant, determines the stage 
of water corresponding to five thousand, one hun- 
dred and eighty-eight (5,188) second-feet at Henne- 
pin, or, four thousand five hundred and fifty-five 
(4,555) second-feet plus the natural low water vol- 
ume of six hundred thirty-three (633) second-feet, 
as referred to the low water of 1866, the same cor- 
responding to prior low waters. The low water of 
1866 is fifty-four hundredths (0.54) foot above the 
low water of 1867 at Peoria, and is taken parallel 


48 


thereto. Standard low water of 1871-3-9 corre- 
sponds to 1867 at La Salle-Peru, and is five-tenths 
(0.5) foot lower at Henry and Peoria, so the corree- 
tion is taken at five-tenths (0.5) foot for La Salle- 
Peru, eight-tenths (0.8) foot at Hennepin and (1.0) 
foot from Henry to Havana. The following tabu- 
lations, corrected for standard low water, give the 
Abert record with his interpolations below Henne- 
pin. A column showing experience with steady flow 
is added for comparison: 





= 





Experience 
Dec. 3, 1866 Oct. 14, 1866 1904, 
Locality. Simultaneous Increment Increment 

5, 


Observations. 4,555 s. f. ig 

Miles. Fi; Ft. Ft. 
WIGIGS Vis clas la ee ee 0.0 met ae ae 
La Salle-Peru .. 6.5 9.8 8.9 y Gi 
Piermont 2n'0 2 ose 22.4 ee 8.2 7.2 
(Genry Dam) iui nce. 33.5 ~ xii 7.3 
PFRCONO 45.0 ig ahs ease aoe 39.5 7 to 6.4 6 to 5.4 7.4 
(Chillicothe) 2... 47.9 sais vine 6.4 
MPOGTIA: ote ett 67.3 7.0 6.0 6.4 
Copperas Creek Dam. 92.8 or af 6.6 
evans ge oye ee 109.9 ous Rud 6.1 
Beardstown © i... S2> 141.3 4.8 3.8 4.7 


The report shows a phasing condition in the river 
and no allowance for time intervals, and notes fur- 
ther that a rising river gives a higher stage at La- 
con than at Peoria. Only one point, La Salle-Peru, 
is common to the observations of December 3, and 
October 14, and the difference nine-tenths (0.9) foot 
is used for interpolating the plane below Hennepin, 
corresponding to five thousand one hundred and 
eighty-eight (5,188) second-feet at Hennepin and 
this made his interpolated plane too low. The third 
column represents steady flow (hereafter discussed) 
and is added for comparison and illustrates the dis- 
crepancies due to the head water rise and phasing 


49 


conditions which gives up-stream stages too great 
and down-stream stages too small, nevertheless (p. 
22), Mr. Abert concludes that a navigable depth of 
seven (7) feet will obtain from La Salle to Spring 
Lake (Copperas Creek dam) and five (5) feet thence 
to Beardstown. (H. R. 16, 40th Cong., 1st Sess.) 

Lyman E. Cooley, then Chief Assistant of the 
Drainage and Water Supply Commission, in testi- 
mony (printed) before the special joint committee 
of the General Assembly, April 7, 1887, reviewed the 
data of Abert and with later data made a prelim- 
inary estimate of the probable stage of water due 
to an increment of ten thotisand (10,000) second- 
feet from Lake Michigan, as follows: La Salle-Peru, 
twelve (12) feet above natural low water; Henry, 
nine to ten (9 to 10) feet; Peoria, seven to eight 
(7 to 8) feet; Beardstown five (5) to six (6) feet; 
and approaching the mouth, five (5) feet. In ‘‘The 
Lakes and Gulf Waterway’’ (published January, 
1888) by the Citizens Association of Chicago on 
behalf of the Executive Committee of the Peoria 
Convention of October 11-12, 1887, for the purpose 
of enlisting the co-operation of the National Gov- 
ernment in the Illinois Waterway, the history and 
physical conditions are reviewed, projects compared 
and the feasibility is developed of producing a 
navigable depth of fourteen (14) feet through the 
valley, by the aid of ten thousand (10,000) second- 
feet from Lake Michigan. ‘‘Roughly estimated,. 
about twenty-five million (25,000,000) yards of ma- 
terial must be moved to furnish a channel through 
the bars below La Salle, three hundred (300) feet 
_ wide and for fourteen (14) feet of water, costing, 
say, five million dollars ($5,000,000).’’ (P. 30.) 


50 


Capt. W. L. Marshall, under Act of Congress of 
August 11, 1888, passed in response to representa- 
tions before mentioned, reported, February 28, 1890. 
A project of a depth of fourteen (14) feet was called 
for, but this is most strenuously opposed in this re- 
port. Taking the low water volume of the Lower 
Illinois uniformly at one thousand (1,000) second- 
feet, the report (page 27) estimated the effect above 
standard low water of an increment of five thousand 
(5,000) second-feet and of ten thousand (10,000) sec- 
ond-feet, at three points: 





$i 


Location. 0,000s.f. 10,000s. f. 
Bacimatle 4.4. ie aa ae oe (prs 9.9 
Dia Grane 0} aa ee ee oa DY 
Foanipena lie: 30) 4 ace eas 2 4.5’ 


Lyman E. Cooley in 1888-9, then Consulting Engi- 
neer to the State Board of Health, and the Joint 
Committee of the General Assembly (including the 
Mayor of Chicago), which framed the Sanitary Dis- 
trict Act, collected the available data for use in the 
legislation of 1889. In 1890, as Chief Engineer of 
the Sanitary District, the available data were dli- 
gested in a number of tables, published in 1891. (P. 
65-9, Lakes and Gulf Waterway as related to the San- 
itary problem.) The natural low water volume was 
taken at six hundred (600) second-feet from La Salle 
to Copperas Creek, and at one thousand two hun- 
dred (1,200) seeond-feet below Crooked Creek. The 
stages above natural low water for increment of two 
thousand (2,000) second-feet, five thousand (5,000) 
second-feet and ten thousand ($10,000) second-feet 
were estimated as follows: 


ol 


Distance. 2,000 5,000 10,000 











Location tees), Bete, SL. s. f. 
MUR ea. sas i dhe stn 0.0 3.6 5.6/ 8.0’ 
MS fais wn shen aset 33.0 3.4 Do eg 
Poses. RS 63.7 SP a oO 6.8’ 
Copperas Creek ..... 92.8 ay’ aE yi Md 
TN ie 'o bite ie shinies 109.9 (3.8). .(4.6).. (6,4) 





‘‘These hights may be assumed to represent the 
stages to be relied upon for navigation, above the 
Sangamon, though it will be safe to add a half (4) 
foot for the purpose of other comparison.’’ Further 
tabulations show that an increment of five thousand 
(5,000) second-feet will give a depth of seven (7) 
feet in the natural river and that an increment of 
two thousand (2,000) second-feet will give a depth of 
seven (7) feet with limited dredging. The result in 
either case exceeds the depth produced by the dams. 
A fourteen (14) foot channel three hundred (300) 
feet wide with water surface three to four (3 to 4) 
feet above the standard low water surface at La 
Salle is roughly estimated at sixty million (60,000,- 
000) yards and a cost of six million dollars ($6,000,- 
000). The foregoing estimates of stages were ex- 
tremely conservative, but this adds to their signifi- 
cance in contemporary legislation, in the organiza- 
tion of the Sanitary District of Chicago and in the 
deep water project. 


The Ernst Board made elaborate surveys and in- 
vestigations (1902-4) and developed the project for 
fourteen (14) feet of water between Lockport and 
Grafton. Its report (Aug. 26, 1905—H. R. 263, 59th 
Cong., 1st Sess.) contains an extensive collection 
of data and among other things said (p. 18), ‘‘The 


o2 


additional flow provided by the Chicago Drain- 
age Canal is now four thousand two hundred (4,200) 
second-feet. It will allow the removal of the pres- 
ent locks and dams, and will make practicable the 
maintenance of an open channel considerably deeper 
than the seven (7) feet now provided by these struc- 
tures. The increase to ten thousand five hundred 
(10,500) second-feet makes practicable a still great- 
er open channel.’’ And (p. 11) ‘‘In a future not re- 
mote, larger volumes of water may be needed for 
sanitary purposes, and channels deeper than four- 
teen (14) feet will then become practicable in the 
open alluvial section of the Illinois River.’’ The 
project for a navigable depth of fourteen (14) feet 
is based on a low water volume of five hundred (500) 
second-feet for the upper division and one thousand 
(1,000) second-feet for the lower division and an in- 
crement of ten thousand (10,000) second-feet from 
Lake Michigan. The estimate is for a channel two 
hundred (200) feet wide on the bottom with a yard- 
age of twenty-seven million eight hundred sixty- 
seven thousand sixty (27,867,060) cubic yards and 
at a cost, including other items, of eight million one 
hundred eighty-seven thousand six hundred and 
eighty-two dollars ($8,187,682). The excavation be- 
tween La Salle-Peru and Peoria is nominal except in 
broad waters, and without material effect on stage 
and declivity. Below Peoria, and also below the 
mouth of the Mackinaw, the improved channel will 
lessen the declivity and lower the stages above 
Peoria; again, heavy excavation between Spoon 
River and the Sangamon will lower the stages above 
Havana. 


d9 


The estimated stage above standard low water 
from Utica to Havana is taken from the profile as 
follows: 


Location. Distance. Stage. 
DO OER. i a 0.0 miles 11.0’ 
eee F OP 2) hoe crack aids & Go ** 10.2’ 
emepin Canal ......6 4.2... de 9.8’ 
OT isis org ba oy le ds ls, 5) day od pou ** 957 
We! os BP ep cease eds x ae f* 8.4’ 
1) A ae SP he es 8.4’ 
Ropperae (reek ois. eo 1s 


Lee a Rg en nn ee 108.9 ** 53 


The discharge measurements are not determinative, but indi- 
eate higher stages by six-tenths (0.6) foot at La Salle-Peru; two 
(2.0) feet at Henry and Peoria; and two and three-tenths 2.3) 
feet at Havana. The latest rating curve indicates higher stages by 
one and one-tenth (1.1) feet at La Salle-Peru; one and five-tenths 
(1.5) feet at Henry; two and two-tenths (2.2) feet at Peoria and 
two and seven-tenths (2.7) feet at Havana. 

The Experience with Steady Flow is indicated by 
the low water profile of 1901, corresponding to an 
increment of three thousand four hundred (3,400) 
second-feet at Lockport and the low water of 1904, 
corresponding to an increment of five thousand 
(5,000) second-feet (approx.), assuming that the 
stage at the head of the pools is not affected for these 
volumes by back water from the dams. This may not 
be true for 1901 at La Salle-Peru, as profile indicates 
a flash board on the Henry dam, nor at Peoria and 
Chillicothe, and it may not be quite true for 1904 at 
Peoria and Chillicothe. The stages above standard 
low water are as follows: 


o4 


Distance 1901 1904 

Locality. Miles. 3,400 s. f. 5,000 s. f. 
Cia aA a eee 0.0 me we 
La Salle-Peru......... 65 9.9" (3.3) ts 
(Hennepin) 554405 19.4 (8.3)’ (7.2)’ 
Henry (below dam) Belo 9) 5-3! interpolated 7.3 
(Chillicothe kane 50.2 a.0 (4.7) 6.4’ 
Pena: oo, saree 67.3 D4’ (4.6) 6.4’ 
Copperas Creek 

(below dam) .... 92.8 4.4’ 6.6’ 
Havas. cosas 109.9 4.37 6.1’ 


The fall over the two dams in 1904 was about one 
(1) foot, so that the elevations were not materially 
affected between Peoria and Henry and La Salle- 
Peru; nor would the La Grange dam materially af- 
fect the reach between Copperas Creek and Havana. 
The low water of 1901 had a fall of two and one-half 
(21) feet at Copperas Creek and three (38) feet at 
Henry, due probably to flash boards, and the ele- 
vations at La Salle-Peru and at Peoria and Chilli- 
cothe probably exceed those which would prevail in 
the absence of the dams, but elevations between 
Copperas Creek and Havana may be taken as true. 
These results indicate that an increment of four 
thousand one hundred sixty-seven (4,167) second- 
feet (250,000 minute feet), which is the volume con- 
ceded by Federal permits, would give five and five- 
tenths (5.5) feet to six and twenty-five hundredths 
(6.25) feet above standard low water from La Salle- 
Peru to Copperas Creek, and this gives the six (6) 
feet for which the two state dams were designed and 
constructed, except where the river bed may have 
filled within half (4) a foot of natural low water. 
The fill in the river bed nowhere reached the stand- 


D0 


ard low water line between La Salle-Peru and Cop- 
peras Creek up to the soundings of 1903 (survey of 
1902-4), but there has been no general survey since 
to indicate the present conditions. The low water 
profile of 1904, corrected for back water effect of 
the Copperas Creek dam, below Peoria and for the 
Henry dam above Henry, may be taken as. an ap- 
proximate determination of the stage due to an in- 
erement of five thousand (5,000) second-feet from 
Lake Michigan, or five thousand five hundred (5,500) 
second-feet in the river. The actual volume in the 
river may be slightly in excess. 


No Satisfactory Comparison, in detail, can be 
made between the actual stages due to steady flow in 
1904 and the estimate based on data prior to 1890 
from unsteady flow and phasing conditions. A care- 
ful study shows that the measured volumes are ex- 
tremely erratic in respect to stage, and that the 
rating curves deduced therefrom are not reliably in- 
dicative. The volume at La Salle on a rising stage 
greatly exceeds that at Peoria, due to the regulating 
effect of the broad expanse between Henry and Pe- 
oria, which establishes a temporary regimen and en- 
ables approximate comparisons for volume and 
stage. The results obtained by Abert have all the 
infirmities due to variable flow and also to errors in 
treatment, they are qualitative rather than quanti- 
tative, but they are valuable and sufficiently indi- 
eative. The estimates by Cooley are more consistent 
in relation to steady flow and were admittedly con- 
servative, but are far more conservative than sup- 
posed. It may be, that part of the discrepancy be- 
tween the results of the earlier observations and the 


06 


experience of 1904 is due to depreciation of the river 
bed, as already set forth in Topic 16, but the meas- 
ured volumes in recent years are not clearly indica- 
tive and no general survey of the river bed has 
been made since 1903. 


The Increment of 10,000 Second-Feet in its effect 
on stage is not determined by experience. The pro- 
ject profile of the Ernst Board (Survey, 1902-4) has 
been carefully worked up from theoretical consider- 
ations in part, and involves no radical changes in 
the river bed between La Salle and Copperas Creek 
and, subject to qualifications already made, it may be 
taken as the best criterion prior to actual experience. 
The Cooley estimates of 1888-90 are conservative in 
comparison, but the difference lessens down stream, 
which may be due in part to the improved channel 
—particularly below Havana. The measured vol- 
umes and the rating curves generally indicate a 
higher level, but these evidences are elusive. Again, 
it is probable that shrinkage in the capacity of the 
river bed will account for some of the anomalies. 


18. Legislation for the Removal of the State 
Dams at Henry and Copperas Creek was based on 
the estimated effect of an increment of five thou- 
sand (5,000) second-feet from Lake Michigan as set 
forth in the preceding topic (17). This legislation is 
comprehended in— 

(a) ‘‘An Act in Reference to the Improvement of 
the Illinois and Desplaines Rivers, and to Repeal an 
Pu ee Pa he ate 4 ,’’? approved June 4, 1889, in force 
July 1, 1889. 


(b) ‘‘An Act to Create Sanitary Districts and to 
remove obstructions in the Desplaines and Illinois 


o7 


Rivers.’’ Approved May 29, 1889, in force July 1, 
1889. 

(c) Joint Resolution—H. R., May 27, 1889, and 8. 
May 28, 1889. 

(d) Joint Resolution—S., May 27, 1897, and H. 
remsy.)..., 1807. 

The State Works at Henry and Copperas Creek 
were ceded to the United States by the Act of 1887, 
on condition that a through waterway of a depth of 
seven (7) feet should be produced. The Act of 1889, 
above cited (a), known as the ‘‘Little Waterway 
Bill,’’ repeals the cession and makes a new cession. 
(Sec. 2), ‘fon condition that the dams shall be re- 
moved whenever the depth now available for naviga- 
tion can be secured and maintained by channel i1m- 
provement without the aid of said dams; provided, 
that said depth shall be assured upon removal of 
said dams, or that such removal shall not materially 
impair navigation.’’ Section 4 ‘‘bases this Act of 
cession upon the condition that the plan of improv- 
ing the Illinois River below La Salle by slack water, 
maintained by dams and locks, be changed to a plan 
of improvement by means of an open channel in con- 
junction with a water supply from Lake Michigan.”’ 
Section 3 provides that in case the United States 
does not aecept this cession within four years, ‘‘ The 
Canal Commissioners of the State of Illinois be au- 
thorized and instructed to remove the dams at Henry 
and Copperas Creek.’’ 

The foregoing Act was drawn by the undersigned 
in response to a demand by the valley people for the 
removal of these dams and a change to an open chan- 


08 


nel policy, and the bill was introduced in the House 
while the Sanitary District Act was on its passage. 


The Act to Create Sanitary Districts, while pend- 
ing in the Senate, was amended by Senator Leeper, 
of Cass, by inserting in Section 19 in respect to dam- 
ages: ‘*And in case judgment is rendered against 
such district for damages, the plaintiff shall recover 
his reasonable attorneys’ fees, to be taxed as costs 
of suit;’’ ete. With a view of mitigating the severity 
of the damage section, the undersigned suggested 
the following addition to Section 23: ‘*The District 
constructing a channel to carry water from Lake 
Michigan of any amount authorized by this Act, may 
correct, modify and remove obstructions in the Des- 
plaines and Illinois Rivers wherever it shall be nec- 
essary so to do to prevent overflow or damage along 
said river.’’ The addition of this clause led Sena- 
tor Shumway, of Christian, to amend the title of 
the bill by adding the following: ‘‘And to Remove 
Obstructions in the Desplaines and Illinois Rivers.”’ 
Senator Newell, of Woodford, later Assistant Attor- 
ney General in the Altgeld administration, added to 
Section 23, as amended, the essence of the ‘‘ Little 
Waterway Bill’’ above referred to (a) as follows: 
‘¢ And shall remove the dams at Henry and Copperas 
Creek in the [llinois River, before any water shall be 
turned into the said channel;’’ and also, ‘‘and the 
Canal Commissioners, if they shall find at any time 
that an additional supply of water has been added to 
either of the said rivers, by any drainage district or 
districts, to maintain a depth of not less than six 
feet from any dam owned by the state, to and into 
the first lock of the Illinois and Michigan Canal 


d9 


at La Salle without the aid of any such dam or dams, 
at low water, then it shall be the duty of said canal 
commissioners to cause such dam or dams to be re- 
moved.’’ It will be noticed that the latter part of this 
clause refers correctly to the depth of six feet for 
which the State works were designed and construct- 
ed (Topic 16). Senator Newell urged the first 
part of this Amendment in the belief that the ‘‘Lit- 
tle Waterway Bill’’ would not reach the Senate. The 
second part of the Amendment was urged by reason 
of the fact that a depth of six (6) feet could be pro- 
duced by an increment of two thousand (2,000) sec- 
ond-feet (Topic 17), which was then contemplated by 
means of pumping works at Chicago as a measure 
of temporary relief pending the execution of the 
project for permanent relief. Such temporary pro- 
vision was suggested by the State Board of Health 
and under advisement by the Mayor of Chicago, 
John A. Roche, and his Consulting Engineer, the un- 
dersigned. (See Lakes and Gulf Waterway, 1890- 
p. 65 et seq.) 

The Jot Resolution of 1889 declares a deep wa- 
terway policy for the State and asks Federal co-op- 
eration. A depth of twenty-two (22) feet across the 
Chicago Divide and fourteen (14) feet thence to 
Utica, so designed as to permit future increase in 
capacity, is called for and the United States is re- 
quested to stop work upon the dams at La Grange 
and Kampsville, and to apply its funds ‘‘in such 
manner as to develop progressively all the depth 
practicable by the aid of a large water supply from 
Lake Michigan at Chicago.”’ 


The Joint Resolution of 1897 reiterates the 


60 


Joimt Resolution of 1889, recites the intervening 
facts and requests the United States to remove the 
dams at La Grange and Kampsville when the in- 
crement of water is established and the State dams 
removed at Henry and Copperas Creek. 


An Open River without obstructing dams and 
locks, to be improved by dredging and the aid of a 
water supply from Lake Michigan, is the policy of 
the State and the same is clearly set forth and pro- 
vided for by the two Acts and the two Joint Resolu- 
tions already cited and in all subsequent legislation. 
Such legislation, taken as a whole, together with the 
Constitutional Amendment of 1907-8, clearly contem- 
plate a deep waterway to be produced through the 
co-operation of local agencies and the State and 
Nation. 


19. The Removal of the State Dams at Henry 
and Copperas Creek was considered by the Board of 
Trustees of the Sanitary District, June 14, 1899 (p. 
5877 proceedings), and the subject matter referred 
to the Joint Committee on Federal Relations and 
Engineering. This committee reported October 18, 
1899, (p. 6085 proceedings) and recommended that 
a special committee of three (3) be appointed by the 
President of the Board with full powers to remove 
the dams and on October 25, 1899 (p. 6087 proceed- 
ings), the President reported the appointment of 
Messrs. Jones, Carter and Braden. Identical bills of 
complaint to the Cireuit Court on behalf of Fulton 
County and on behalf of the Canal Commissioners 
were heard ex parte by Judge Grey and a temporary 
injunction granted November 13, 1899, and the San- 
itary District notified thereof on the same day, to 


61 


which a general demurrer was filed November 18. 
The complaint alleges among other things that the 
special committee of the Sanitary District met on 
November 10, and determined to blow the dams out 
of the river by means of high explosives, that the 
dams would in no way injure the defendant by in- 
creasing the stage of water or the amount of over- 
flow, that the increment of water from Lake Mich- 
igan would produce no greater depth on the dams 
than now produced by the ‘‘splash boards’’ and that 
the removal of the dams would restore prior condi- 
tions and impair or destroy the improved naviga- 
tion. The Court (W. S. Thompson) sustained the 
demurrer November 28, 1899. An Amended Bill 
of Complaint, December 14, 1899, was filed and de- 
murred to and the Court on the same day sustained 
the demurrer, dissolved the injunction and dismissed 
the bills. 


The Appeal to the Supreme Court was decided 
February 19, 1900 (Opinion by Phillips, Vol. 184 Ills. 
P. 597) adversely to the Sanitary District, the de- 
cision of the lower court reversed and the ease re- 
manded for trial on its merits. The court held that 
the clause in Sec. 23 of the Sanitary District Act 
was not mandatory, but permissive, and that the 
dams could not be removed until an equivalent nav- 
igable depth is available without the aid of the dams. 
The Sanitary District petitioned for a rehearing at 
the February term and recited at length the change 
in State policy and the legislative intent as shown 
by other legislation, both contemporary and later, 
herein referred to in preceeding topic (No. 18) but 
the petition was denied April 17, 1900. (Vol. 184, 
Ti., P. 597.) 


62 


The trial of the case on its merits has not been 
taken up in the Cireuit Court of Fulton County. 


No Actual Data respecting the effect of the inere- 
ment of water on the stage in the Illinois River and 
the equivalents thereof to the depth produced by the 
State dams, other than inferences from statutes and 
resolutions, was presented by the Sanitary District, 
but the complainant based his case on positive alle- 
gation and denials respecting the competence of the 
increment of water to produce results that would 
justify the removal of the dams. In the legislation 
of 1889, the General Assembly had before it the 
available data respecting the effect of an increment 
of water in the absence of the dams, and this led the 
valley people to demand the removal of the dams, 
and the change in policy to an open channel, and 
such program was deemed just and proper by the 
General Assembly and has been adhered to in all 
subsequent legislation. 


The State not only defined its policy and pro- 
vided for its own, but went further and did what it 
could to induce the United States to conform its pol- 
icy to the changed conditions and necessities of the 
situation. 


The data showing the effect of the increment of 
water has already been set forth in Topic 17, and 
the effect of the dams in Topics 15 and 16. 


The Association of Drainage and Levee Districts 
of Illinois at the Springfield meeting of its Executive 
Committee, March 8, 1912, formulated an address 
to the Secretary of War praying for a refusal to the 
Sanitary District of its petition for a greater vol- 
ume of water until the dams in the Illinois River had 


63 


been removed. Some conferences had taken place 
at various times between the Sanitary District Trus- 
tees and the Canal Commissioners and this action 
quickened negotiations and it was understood that 
an agreement had been reached respecting the re- 
moval of the State dams. 


The Lakes to the Gulf Deep Waterway Associa- 
tion took up the question as a part of its program 
of deep water between the Lakes and the Gulf and 
under its auspices the matter was presented at a 
hearing before the Senate Committee on Commerce, 
April 16, 1912. The following organizations were 
represented: The Lakes to the Gulf Deep Waterway 
Association by its President, Chairman of Execu- 
tive Committee and its Consulting Engineer. The 
Sanitary District by the Chairman of its committee 
on Federal Relations, its Attorney and its Consulting 
Engineer. The City of Chicago by its Commissioner 
of Public Works. The Canal Commissioners by their 
Attorney. The River and Lakes Commission of []li- 
nois by its Engineer member. The Association of 
Drainage and Levee Districts of Illinois by its past 
President. The Illinois Valley Association by its 
Secretary and Special Delegate and the National 
Drainage Congress by a special delegate. 


A Paragraph for a River and Harbor Bill had been 
agreed to and was presented as follows: 


‘“‘The sum of $1,000,000 appropriated by the 
rivers and harbors act, approved June 25, 1910, 
for the development of a deep waterway in the 
Des Plaines and Illinois Rivers under certain 
conditions therein mentioned is hereby made 
available for the improvement of the alluvial 
division of the Illinois River between its mouth 
and Utica without the aid of any dam and 


64 


by means of any water supply established 
through the Chicago Drainage Canal and dredg- 
ing a channel in said river in conjunction 
therewith; provipep, That the Secretary of War 
shall issue his permit to the sanitary dis- 
trict of Chicago or other responsible agency of 
the State of Illinois for the removal of the Fed- 
eral dams at Kampsville and La Grange when- 
ever the State dams at Copperas Creek and 
Henry shall have been removed, the removal of 
all of said dams to be under the direction of and 
to the satisfaction of the Secretary of War; 
AND PROVIDED FURTHER, That upon the removal 
of said dams a navigable depth of 6 feet 
at low water over the portion of the river con- 
trolled by such dams shall be assured to the satis- 
faction of the Secretary of War, and such depth 
may be produced by the increment of water add- 
ed to said river or by dredging in connection 
with such increment of water, and such part of 
the money herein made available as may be nec- 
essary shall first be applied to the development 
of such preliminary depth in order to expedite 
the removal of said dams: AND IT IS FURTHER 
PROVIDED, That the balance of the funds herein 
made available shall be first applied to the pro- 
duction of a navigable channel of a provisional 
depth of eight feet upon such plan of progres- 
sive development as will be best adapted to fur- 
ther increase of depth to fourteen feet or more, 
as may be hereafter determined and money ap- 
propriated therefor by Congress.”’ 


The subject-matter was heard at great length and 
it developed that neither the State nor the Sanitary 
District had removed the State dams at Henry and 
Copperas Creek under the legislation of 1889, and 
that the case remanded by the Supreme Court to the 
Circuit Court of Fulton County in February, 1900, 
had not been tried out on its merits. In view of 
these circumstances the Committee concluded that 


69 


action respecting the removal of the Federal dams 
should be deferred. 


No Actual Agreement had been closed between the 
Sanitary District and the Canal Commissioners, as 
had been assumed when the hearing was asked for 
and the several parties invited to participate, and no 
actual agreement has since been reached. It is un- 
derstood in a general way that the Canal Commis- 
sioners will join the Sanitary District Trustees in 
a consent decree, subject to certain stipulations re- 
specting any deficiency in the depth and restriction 
in water supply which may exist after the dams are 
removed. 

The War Department attitude seems to be, that 
the State dams may be within the purview of Section 
10 of the Act of Congress of March 3, 1899, and re- 
quire its consent to the removal of the dams, but 
that no objection will be made as the flow of four 
thousand one hundred and sixty-seven (4,167) sec- 
ond-feet may be considered as established. The re- 
moval of the Federal dams will require the authority 
of Congress and under such authority the Depart- 
ment probably will make no objections. 

20. A Summary of the Salient Facts respecting 
the Upper division of the Lower Illinois Valley is set 
forth as follows: 

(a) The Upper Division includes about one-third 
(1/3) the area of the valley, one-half (4) the water, 
one-sixth (1/6) of the lands under reclamation, and 
two-thirds (2/3) the amount of damage claims from 
overflow. 

(b) The Henry dam and lock was authorized in 
1867 and opened in 1871, and the dam and lock at 


66 


Copperas Creek was authorized in 1873 and opened 
in 1877. The locks are three hundred fifty (350) feet 
in length between quoins and seventy-five (75) feet 
in width, with six (6) feet on the mitre sills at low 
water, or the same as the depth of the [llinois and 
Michigan Canal. The works were built from sur- 
plus canal revenue at a cost of seven hundred for- 
ty-seven thousand, seven hundred forty-seven dol- 
lars and fifty-one cents ($747,747.51). The United 
States constructed the foundation for the Copperas 
Creek lock at a cost of sixty-two thousand three 
hundred fifty-eight dollars and ninety cents ($62,- 
308.90) and dredged the bars in the pool above at a 
cost of $95,074.29. (Appx.) 


(c) The fill in the river bed in the interval of thir- 
ty-six (86) years between 1867 and 1903, has been 
thirty per cent (30%) of the depth below standard 
low water of 1871-3-9, and the bank full capacity has 
been diminished by some fifteen to twenty per cent 
(15% to 20%). This fill is greatest in deep and in 
broad waters and least in narrow and shallow reaches 
or the ruling points for navigation. The compara- 
tive profiles in Lake Joliet indicate the major fill in 
the last half of the period, and the study of 1888-90 
respecting conditions in the alluvial valley are in ac- 
cord. Reclamation and tillage have increased the 
burden of detritus in the stream and the dams have 
played a part in arresting the same. 


(d) The improvement of navigation in the Lower 
Illinois by an increment of water from Lake Michi- 
gan is probably due to the Preston surveys of 1857-8 
and found expression in the Joint Resolution of the 
General Assembly in 1861. Federal examination in 


67 


1866-7 determined that an increment of four thou- 
sand five hundred fifty-five (4,555) second-feet will 
produce a navigable depth of seven (7) feet over 
the bars down to Copperas Creek and five (5) feet 
thence to Beardstown, but, the project is rejected by 
reason of an awkward mistake in the plan and esti- 
mate for the feeding channel across the Chicago Di- 
vide. These and later data, set forth in the report 
of 1890, led the General Assembly to revert to the 
original project, on a deep water basis in conjunction 
with the large water supply authorized for sanitary 
purposes at Chicago. 


(e) The State policy respecting a deep waterway 
with an open channel below Utica improved by an 
increment of water and dredging, is set forth in the 
legislation of 1889. The Joint Resolution recites 
conditions and policy and asks Federal co-operation 
and this is reiterated in the Joint Resolution of 1897. 
The ‘‘Little Waterway Bill’’ provides for the re- 
moval of the dams at Henry and Copperas Creek 
when an equivalent depth of water is assured. The 
Sanitary District Act (Section 23) is mandatory re- 
specting the removal of the State works upon the ac- 
cession of the preliminary flow of five thousand 
(5,000) second-feet required by law, through the 
Main Channel of the Sanitary District. 


(f) ‘The experience with such preliminary flow of 
five thousand (5,000) second-feet is shown by the 
low water profile of 1904 corrected for back water up 
stream from the dams. The stage everywhere is 
more than six (6) feet above standard low water 
and exceeds the estimates underlying legislation. 


68 


The stage due to an increment of four thousand one 
hundred sixty-seven (4,167) second-feet, the volume 
conceded by Federal permit, is inferred from the ex- 
perience profiles, and a depth of six feet reaches 
about one-half (4) foot below standard low water 
in the lower part of the division, or is still about one 
(1) foot above original bottom at ruling points for 
navigation. 


The Ernst Board (1905) states that such volume 
makes practicable a depth considerably greater than 
that produced by the dams. 


(2) An increment of ten thousand (10,000) see- 
ond-feet is the minimum legal capacity of the feeding 
channel at Chicago, and the Ernst Board (1905) pro- 
jects a profile for a navigable depth of fourteen (14) 
feet. Such profile, with due allowance for channel 
improvement below Peoria, Mackinaw River and 
Spoon River, may be taken provisionally pending 
experience determination. The stage indicated is 
everywhere higher than the early estimates and the 
evidence from rating curves suggest that this profile 
is conservative. 


(h) An increment of fifteen thousand (15,000) see- 
ond-feet or more is represented by the joint capacity 
of the Main Channel of the Sanitary District and the 
Illinois and Michigan Canal. The report of the In- 
ternal Improvement Commission of Illinois for 1907 
indicates that such increment will make practicable 
twenty-four (24) feet to Peoria and eighteen to twen- 
ty (18 to 20) feet below. The present study indicates 
that such depths can be more easily obtained than 


69 


heretofore supposed, or that greater depths may be 
had below Peoria. 


(i) The dams can form no part of a deep water 
project and must be removed as a condition prece- 
dent. The fall over the State dams is only one (1) 
foot for an increment of five thousand (5,000) see- 
ond-feet at low water and such fall becomes imma- 
terial at high stages within the banks. The stages 
due to the increments heretofore prevailing have 
been nearly the equivalent of the average stage in 
the pools due to the dams. The dams mask largely 
the effect of an increment of water until the equiv- 
alent stage is reached, after which their relative in- 
fluence lessens with the stages due to increasing in- 
erements. Aside from their direct effect on the ea- 
pacity of channel and their influence in depreciating 
the river bed, the dams have been more potent in 
causing overflow than increments of water under an 
equivalent stage. The removal of the dams, and the 
dredging of the stream becomes important to the 
Sanitary District for the larger increments with 
higher stages. The dams contribute to the filling of 
the river bed, even where deeply submerged, much as 
ground-sills raise the deep places and are used for 
such purposes in river improvement. 


(j) The Court held in February, 1900, that the 
mandatory provision of the law is permissive and 
that the dams should not be removed until an 
equivalent navigation obtains and remanded the case 
for trial on its merits. The facts which were before 
the General Assembly that made the law were not 
before the Court that construed it and the trial on 


70 


the merits of the case has not been had. At a hear- 
ing in Washington, April 16, 1912, the Senate Com- 
mittee on Commerce would not entertain the proposi- 
tion to remove the Federal dams and apply a condi- 
tional appropriation of one million dollars ($1,000,- 
000) for works on the Upper Llinois to dredging on 
the Lower Illinois, until the State had shown its good 
faith in the deep water project by actually removing 
the dams at Henry and Copperas Creek. 


D—Lower Division of the Lower Illinois. 
Havana to Grafton. 


21. The Lower Diwision of the Lower Illinois 
extends from Havana to Grafton, a distance of one 
hundred nineteen and seven-tenths (119.7) miles, al- 
though the actual mouth of the Illinois is two and 
one-tenth (2.1) miles above Grafton. The natural 
low water declivity is taken at nineteen and eight- 
tenths (19.8) feet, or about two (2) inches per mile. 
The elevation at Grafton being taken at one hundred 
seventy-five (175) feet below Chicago datum (1.08 
feet on gauge) and at the level assumed by the Mis- 
sissippi River Commission (Report of Ernst Board 
1905). The low water declivity below Hardin, twen- 
ty-one (21) miles above Grafton, varies greatly and 
depends on the low water stage in the Mississippi 
River which usually differs in relative value. The 
zero of the gauge at Grafton is one hundred seventy- 
six and eight one-hundredths (176.08) feet below 
Chicago datum and some characteristic low water 
readings are as follows: 


— 





Gauge 
Date. Readings Authority. 
Hixtreme 1OW WALCT. . 2.2.5.2 cca 0.00 Durham. 
Mississippi River Commission...... 1.08 Report of Ernst Board, 


1905. 
—0.32 Lakes and Gulf Water- 
way, 1891 (Cooley). 


RMON ME fa Wie wee dade cuscads —0.74 Ward. 

SR ES u's a aie 4-0 4) 8.3 6,408, 1.80 Woermann & Durham. 
i at LG API Si eg CP A 0.40 Durham. 
BREED digas Racal a glinn sa iachon x 0.80 Woermann & Durham. 
Mh aieleed ite sie Gah 5: OE 1.40 Woermann Profile. 

September and October, 1901...... 2.60 Durham. 

Navigation season, 1910........... 2.60 Durham. 


NMavyigation season, 1911............ 2.60 Durham. 


12 


The three lowest waters in the fourteen years since 
the opening of the Drainage Canal (January, 1900) 
occurred in 1901, 1910 and 1911 and are uniformly 
two and six-tenths (2.6) feet on the Grafton gauge. 
The low water improvement plane for the Mississippi 
River has been amended accordingly and corrected 
for some twenty-five (25) miles upstream, thus rais- 
ing the former improvement plane (1864 and 1894) 
by one and eight-tenths (1.8) feet. 


The Natural Low Water Volume has been taken at 
both one thousand two hundred (1,200) and one thou- 
sand (1,000) second-feet in official projects and prob- 
ably lower volumes have occurred. The survey of 
1879 measured one thousand five hundred and sixty- 
six (1,566) second-feet, or one thousand three hun- 
dred and five (1,805) second-feet after deducting 
canal water from Chicago. 


The Average Run-Off has been taken at seven- 
tenths (0.7) second-foot per square mile of water- 
shed which would give nineteen thousand five hun- 
dred and forty (19,540) second-feet at the mouth 
(27,914 square miles). 


The Flood Volume of 1904 was one hundred seven- 
teen thousand (117,000) second-feet as measured at 
Pearl, forty-three (43) miles above Grafton. 


The Bank-Full Capacity of the natural river bed 
prior to the erection of the dams at La Grange and 
Kampsville was estimated from measurements at 
thirty thousand (30,000) second-feet at La Grange, — 
increasing to forty thousand (40,000) second-feet at 
Kampsville. 


The Area under the flood of 1844 has been esti- 
mated as follows (See T. 10): 


73 








Description. Acres. 
Lands between 1844 and 1904...... 45,462 
(Pre eri oe i 02 189,632 
SAGES 00) Sc te) er 28,476 
reer eee ec atl civ i vecee sais 12,502 
otal (aot eg. My... se. 276,072 





Reclamation Work developed, or now in progress, 


is as follows: 





Havana to La Grange, 18 Districts, 90,885 Acres: 





County. Name of District. Acres. 
jy hs ae PGs eae pak. vewlasin ene ts ss 6,100 
Ce a as CP WEE PME els cise aries aik whe won’ 1,600 
abhi iteets 6 hind 6 de Lynchburg & Sangamon bottoms.28,000 
a pies coo Ee | a 1,500 
Lape ida: <x shave 2 PPQH CMY EMG vino a cs eninie co's 1,200 
Ta oR Beer a OCT Rs Gi a i ea ee 3,000 
ee a aw iwi Valley Disinicn co <2. 5.5.2. 50's 0s 3,200 
Peano ot as Poke tea lates DO; VRCBEGSEOWTIE, iiiin ssil erase os as 8,185 
ReMi, «in eed AGP St lei. ose. Ke yiiisiec bs oe 4,000 
er A ere a tie ee ee 1,200 
PR ca at a sea sual eo od Clear Lake Special............. 3,200 
Mason and Cass..Mason and Cass, River District. .10,000 
Cass and Morgan.Mud Creek ..................; 3,000 
ORIEL wisix sn hss PERRIS POM Ratha RT ea oy’ dash 3,200 
Le Prrvane DasGriet oc ah cs wee 800 

PR aie ay 3 Coed Creebe so. usc: past iaidia sas 6,700 

pon SO Oe eM 2 Bn ee 5,200 
a ie ee ART fey ent ean as We) Gaels + 800 


County 
Acres. 


6.0) sia) w..é 


oS) 8 << xe 
oe ee oe 


a6 @ 2.6.6 


“ese eee 
@/6 a ace 


La Grange to Mouth, 13 Districts, 98,000 Acres: 


Ones aaa Blorgan, Moredosia ’. 1.2... une cece ee aes 4,000 
Priveke DIGIC (6: os siarnelied don 4 2,000 

Ter Be AO, SAOS oi. igen cence snes 12,000 
Seorr.and Greene. Hillview +... 6.6.62 ost peeicn's 12,400 
OGRA hod. ays 3's LIM MIPOO sy as.ce hs te aces X's 1,700 
EVE RMS cig Ws, os She OO SRIVOE Ys 4 ean Sh Soin olecbe ode 2,000 
RE foe Hass! sie wit ed 0 OS EE Rae es Ae 9,500 
sates Dee een ee 1 ARE frie Re ai Lee 400 
tak PE ee SN se og can ek be ne eke 12,000 
RIMINE iG Ciaran eas ERIE SS, 5 aia au wlr'k-n! ask dicate espa 12,000 
lee eee ME ag sh 5 sun od atne Wikresucde Wie ke 8 10,000 

Mee OPN ui ales PE Fe idk dc ahem talies dele dd 9,000 
PIMOS isle int va'ciee PORNO CRG hie sas RAR: Bad ve Be 11,000 


74 


Havana to Mouth, 31 Districts, 188,885 acres (295 
square miles). 


Damage Claims against the Sanitary District, 
under adjudication, are as follows: 





Havana to La Grange. 


Counties. No. Permanent. No. Temporary. No. Total. 

1) ae 2 $ 33,330 17 $ 195,150 19 $ 228,480 
Schuyler ....-'. we PSN er ie 25 251,150) (25. O.-) See 
oe ree eee a eiCis Wh hs shee 62 G2%050. G2) i) tomas 
Brow ft BSL dca ae 4 49,000 4 1,023,200 
Toratson cigh. need 2 $ 33,330 108 $1,118,350 110 $1,151,680 


La Grange to Mouth. 





Pee ee ae ha 2 105,000 © sim |) "etem does eee ee 
Ee Fh ete eho AM) ado tae st 1 10,000 . ws | °° ieee 
IBONS oo Soles. 3 SGLD00 |! 5 apt Se eae i nc) oe 

5 469,000 1 10,000 6 479,000 
Havana to Mouth 7 $502,330 109 $1,128,350 116 $1,630,680 





The Ratios of leading quantities of the lower di- 
vision to the whole valley are as follows: 





— 








La 
Description. Havana Grange Havana 
toLa ° to to 

Grange. Mouth. Mouth. 

All areas under flood of 1844........... 27.0 37.6 64.6 

Lands only under flood of 1904......... 27.3 39.1 66.4 

Ponds, sloughs, ete. (low water) of 1901 33.0 24.7 57.7 

Rived. Bed (low water of 1901)........ 12.3 31.1 43.4 
Reclamation (Area in Drainage and 

Levee -“Disteicta)) 24 9533-..uvs teres 40.1 43.3 83.4 

Damage Giang 255 6cictc nae ea eee 25.6 10.6 36.2 





It will be noted that this division includes about 
two-thirds (2/3) the lands, one-half (4) the water, 
five-sixths (5/6) the reclamation, and one-third (1/3) 
the claims for damages. 

It will be noted further that the lands below La 
Grange exceed those above by about fifty per cent 
(50%), while the ponds, sloughs, ete., are greatest 


— = 


79 


above La Grange, and the river bed greatly in excess 
below. Reclamation is about equal above and below 
La Grange. Damage claims against the Sanitary 
District below La Grange are about forty per cent 
(40%) of those above and this may be due, in part, 
to the cutting down of Kampsville dam by two (2) 
feet (Topic 22). Again (Topic 12), of all lands out- 
side the river bed and below the high water of 1844, 
seventy-six per cent (76%) are in Drainage and 
Levee Districts above La Grange and sixty-five per 
cent (65%) below, and the effect on flood regimen is 
important. 

22. The Federal Dams at La Grange and 
Kampsville were constructed under authority of Con- 
gress, Act of June 14, 1880, and the project of Cap- 
tain J. G. Lydecker, of May 10, 1880, for the purpose 
of completing the slack-water system instituted by 
the state dams at Henry and Copperas Creek (Topic 
15). These dams are respectively one hundred fifty- 
two and one-tenth (152.1) miles and one hundred 
ninety-eight and one-tenth (198.1) miles below Utica. 


The La Grange Dam and Lock was opened for 
navigation October 21, 1889, and completed Decem- 
ber 1, 1890. The low water of 1879 at this point cor- 
responds to the low water of 1871 at Henry and 1873 
at Copperas Creek and has since been used as the 
low water plane and is one hundred sixty-one and 
eighty-one hundredths (161.81) feet below Chicago 
datum by the survey of 1902-4. The crest of the 
dam is eight hundred and twenty (820) feet in length, 
and is seven and four-tenths (7.4) feet above the 
low water of 1879. The depth on the lower mitre 
sill is seven (7) feet below the low water of 1879 and 


76 


the depth on the upper mitre sill is seven and three ~ 
hundredths (7.03) feet below the crest of the dam. 
The La Grange dam is fifty-nine and three-tenths 
(59.5) miles below the Copperas Creek dam and the 
low water declivity is seven and five-tenths (7.5) 
feet, or the crest of the dam is one-tenth (0.1) foot 
below low water at Copperas Creek. The low water 
declivity in 1893 and 1894 was one and twenty-seven 
hundredths (1.27) feet when the water stood five- 
tenths (0.5) foot on crest of dam and this corre- 
sponds to a back water elevation one and fifteen- 
hundredths (1.15) feet, more or less, above natural 
low water at Copperas Creek when water stands at 
erest of La Grange dam. (See T. 15.) From Ha- 
vana, the distance is forty-two and two-tenths (42.2) 
miles and the low water declivity six and six-tenths 
(6.6) feet, or at an elevation eight-tenths (0.8) foot 
below crest of dam. 

The Kampsville Dam and Lock was opened for 
navigation September 30, 1893. The low water of 
1879 at this point is one hundred seventy and ninety- 
four one-hundredths (170.94) feet below Chicago 
datum by the survey of 1902-4. The crest of the dam 
is twelve hundred (1,200) feet in length and is seven 
and sixty-seven hundredths (7.67) feet above the low 
water of 1879, the depth on the lower mitre-sill is 
seven (7) feet below low water of 1879 and the depth 
on the upper mitre-sill seven and twenty-seven hun- 
dredths (7.27) feet below crest of dam. The Kamps- 
ville dam is forty-six (46) miles below La Grange 
dam, and the low water declivity is nine and thir- 
teen hundredths (9.13) feet, or the crest of the dam 
is one and forty-six hundredths (1.46) feet below 
low water at La Grange. The low water declivity in 


i 


1894 was one and forty-nine hundredths (1.49) feet 
with forty-seven hundredths (0.47) foot on the 
Kampsville dam and five tenths (0.5) foot above low 
water of 1879 at La Grange and this corresponds 
substantially to the difference in level (1.46 feet) 
between the crest of the Kampsville dam and low 
water at La Grange. The Kampsville dam is thirty- 
one and five-tenths (31.5) miles above Grafton and 
the low water declivity in 1894 was four and two 
hundredths (4.02) feet at a stage of twenty-four hun- 
dredths (0.24) feet at Kampsville and one and thirty- 
six hundredths (1.36) feet on gauge at Grafton. This 
declivity varies greatly with low water stages in the 
Mississippi (T. 21). The cutting down by two (2) 
feet of the Federal dams was authorized by joint 
resolution of Congress, April 21, 1904, and the work 
at Kampsville was done in 1904-6. Work began at 
La Grange in 1907, but was abandoned. The Kamps- 
ville dam was lowered two (2) feet or to elevation 
five and sixty-seven hundredths (5.67) feet above 
low water of 1879. The effect of this lowering is ap- 
parent in the moderate damage claims opposite the 
Kampsville pool. (T. 12 and 13.) 


A Navigable Depth of seven (7) feet is provided 
for by the Federal dams at La Grange and Kamps- 
ville, or one (1) foot more than was provided in the 
State works at Henry and Copperas Creek. (T. 15.) 
The pools have been dredged to correspond to the 
lock depths from Copperas Creek to the mouth. 

The Appropriations for the lock and dam project 
of 1880, including dredging of channel, have been up 
to June 30, 1913, one million, seven hundred and ten 
thousand, eight hundred and thirty-seven dollars and 


78 


eighty-one eents ($1,710,837.81). This includes an 
unexpended balance of thirty-eight thousand, three 
hundred and thirty-seven dollars and eighty-one 
cents ($38,337.81) from prior appropriations. EHsti- 
mate for completion of project, ninety-two thousand 
dollars ($92,000.00). Additional expenditures for 
operation and maintenance, three hundred and five 
thousand, one hundred and seventy-five dollars and 
twenty-six cents ($305,175.26). The expenditures 
under the earlier project for dredging in an open 
channel were (approximately) from 1869 to 1879 
three hundred and ninety-three thousand, three hun- 
dred and seventy-nine dollars ($393,379.00). For 
detail, see appendix. 

23. The Shrinkage of the River Bed is shown 
by the profiles of different surveys. The profiles of 
record between Copperas Creek dam and the mouth 
are those of John B. Preston, 1857-8, the Wilson pro- 
file of 1867, the Lydecker profile of 1879 and the pro- 
file of the Ernst Board from soundings made in 
1902-3 (Survey of 1902-4). The Preston profile, with 
bar corrections by Abert, shows correctly the gen- 
eral character of the river, but a careful examination 
thereof indicates that the soundings are too infre- 
quent and not sufficiently located for clear compari- 
son. The profile from the Federal survey of 1867, 
both by the report and by critical examination, ap- 
pear to show the river bed accurately in the natural 
condition and before considerable change had oc- 
curred through the inhabitation of the basin; but 
owing to error in levels, below Beardstown, the ad- 
justment has been made at ruling points by depths 
on bars, and is therefore approximate. 








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| "= 4902-3| ERNST B0ARD—™ ee : SSS EEE DSEAR DEL OWEN SS NCEIaS 7: fam PROJECT OF 1905 —-.——.-—__..__—-- ESTIMATED 11,000 SEC FT: 1.2. 10000+/000. 
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| 
j 


te 


The Lydecker profile of 1879 is made from elab- 
orate soundings and has been definitely referred by 
the precise levels of the survey of 1902-4. The pro- 
file of 1902-3 by the Ernst Board (soundings below 
Naples, November, 1902, to March, 1903, and above 
Naples in 1903) for thalweg, show the river bed 
thirty-six (36) years after the Wilson profile and 
twenty-four (24) years after the Lydecker profile, 
thirteen (18) years after the closing of the La 
Grange dam and nine (9) years after the closing of 
the Kampsville dam. These three profiles are plat- 
ted to same scale and plane of reference and are 
shown by the exhibit hereto attached, together with 
a number of lines referred to later. 


Filling 1s Indicated by the three profiles, the pro- 
file of 1902-3, being generally higher than that of 
1879 and the profile of 1879 being generally higher 
than that of 1867. The bars in the river were 
dredged to a depth of four feet in 1867-79, and this 
fact is indicated. The two dams were built in 1880- 
93, after which dredging in the pools and below 
Kampsville was resumed, and the effect of this is also 
indicated. The large proportion of shallows and 
bars below Havana which have undergone deepen- 
ing and the small proportion of deep pools which 
have deteriorated renders the profile comparisons 
less significant, yet the deep pools generally show 
filling and the bars also in some localities. It was 
noted (T. 16) that the Henry and Copperas Creek 
pools did not show material depreciation until after 
1889, some seventeen (17) years and eleven (11) 
years respectively after the closing of the dams, 
the detritus from the tributaries being impounded 


80 


in the back waters and overflowed lands; so radical 
depreciation was not due in 1902-3 in the La Grange 
and Kampsville pools. It is reported, however, by 
land owners in the lower valley that such deprecia- 
tion has since occurred and a survey is required to 
show the facts. 


Discharge Measurements represent phasing condi- 
tions and backwater effects from the Mississippi and 
are too few in number for comprehensive analysis. 
From the observations made in 1888-9, at La Grange 
and Kampsville, the bank-full capacity (twelve-foot 
stage) corresponded to thirty thousand (30,000) sec- 
ond-feet at La Grange and forty thousand (40,000) 
second-feet at Kampsville. (Report Capt. W. L. 
Marshall, 1890.) Measurements made in 1904, at 
Beardstown and Pearl, taken at their face value, in- 
dicate a diminution in bank-full capacity of about 
twenty per cent (20%) (Survey of 1902-4), occa- 
sioned presumably by the dams. 


24. The Effect on Stage of an increment of 
water from Lake Michigan and the improvement of 
navigation through such increment, was the sub- 
ject matter of discussion and official action from 
the project of John B. Preston 1857-8, to the Wilson- 
Gooding Report of 1868, but was then dismissed by 
reason of the excessive cost, due to an illy-considered 
design for the feeding channel across the Chicago 
Divide. The project on the basis of a deep water 
channel of not less than fourteen (14) feet was re- 
sumed in connection with the Chicago sanitary prob- 
lem and promoted from August, 1885, to the legisla- 
tion of 1889. The early history and investigations 
are set forth at length in Topic 17, relating to the 


8]. 


division above Havana, and it is only necessary here 
to deal with the proposition since the legislation of 
1889. 


Captain W. L. Marshall, in his report of February 
28, 1890, publishes tabulation of flow measurements, 
made at La Grange and Kampsville in 1888-9 and de- 
duces therefrom the stages of water which will be 
occasioned by increments of five thousand (5,000) 
second-feet and ten thousand (10,000) second-feet 
and a natural low water of one thousand (1,000) 
second-feet, as follows: 





Localhty. Milestrom 9,000 10,000 
Utica. Bf. he 
MEANS oo) as. os iy 3.0’ 5.0’ 
Metiewile 6 ........... 193.1 2.0" 4.5’ 


Lyman E. Cooley gives estimates of the stages 
produced by increments of two thousand (2,000) see- 
ond-feet, five thousand (5,000) second-feet and ten 
thousand (10,000) second-feet with a natural low 
water volume of twelve hundred (1,200) second-feet, 
all as prepared for the legislation of 1889, and offi- 
cially reported to the Sanitary District in 1890 (P. 
65-9, Lakes and Gulf Waterway, 1891) : 





Miles 
from 2,000 5,000 10,000 
Locality Utica. ae oe | f 
UNMET hs |p £5 ated wb «<8, 0 0 109.9 [3.3*] [4.6* | [6.4* ] 
Sangamon River ........ 129.8 2.5’ 4,2’ 6.3’ 
im. tareange. Dam. ::......<. 152.1 1.3’ 3.1’ 5.6 
eS eee 198.1 Le 2.5” 4.5’ 
Mississippi River ........ 229.6 0.3 0.7’ 1.3’ 





*TInterpolated. 


The Ernst Board made elaborate surveys in 1902-4 
and developed the fourteen (14) foot project (Aug. 


R9 


26, 1905, H. R. 263, 59th Cong., Ist Sess.). The 
Board does not report the effect on stage of an in- 
erement of five thousand (5,000) second-feet on a 
natural low water of one thousand (1,000) second- 
feet, but does state that the present increment of 
four thousand two hundred (4,200) second-feet ‘‘ will 
make practicable the maintenance of an open chan- 
nel considerably deeper than the seven (7) feet now 
provided by these structures’’ (dams and locks). A 
flow line is worked out of an increment of ten thou- 
sand (10,000) second-feet when the river is im- 
proved by a dredged channel two hundred (200) feet 
wide on bottom and fourteen (14) feet below such 
flow line. Some three-fourths (#) the channel exca- 
vation is below Havana and more than half below 
Beardstown, so the stages are materially modified 
from natural conditions. Again, the stages near the 
mouth are arbitrarily determined by the projected 
dam at Alton. Subject to the foregoing qualifica- 
tions, the stage produced by an increment of ten 
thousand (10,000) second-feet on a natural low- 
water volume of one thousand (1,000) second-feet is 
estimated as follows: 





Miles 
from Stage 
Locality. Utica. Feet. 
rae is en eee 109.9 5.80’ 
Sangamon River.) 220.540 oaueee 129.8 5.60’ 
Le Grange Dam o.).05.° A. ieee eee 152.1 4.80’ 
Kamipevite) iso oo is Lea 198.1 4.00’ 
Miseiseingr iver 2.7. ec aes 229.6 5.00’ 


Remarks: Grafton Gauge 6.04 ft. (Woermann 
Profile). 


83 


The Experience with Steady Flow is indicated by 
the low water profile of 1901, corresponding to an 
increment of three thousand four hundred (5,400) 
second-feet at Lockport and the low water of 1904 
corresponding to an increment of five thousand 
(5,000) second-feet (approx.), assuming that the 
stage at Havana for these increments is not affected 
by the La Grange dam, and that the stage immedi- 
ately below the La Grange dam is not affected by 
the Kampsville dam and, assuming further that the 
stage in the Mississippi River corresponds to two 
and six-tenths (2.6) feet on the Grafton gauge, as 
adopted for the improvement plane for the Missis- 
sippi River since the accession of flow through the 
Chicago Drainage Canal (letter of C. W. Durham, 
February 24, 1914). This improvement plane cor- 
responds to the low water in the navigation season 
of 1901 and 1910 and 1911. The results are as fol 


lows: 
ee 
Miles 1901 1904 
from 3400 5000 
Locality. Utica. a. £. a. £. 
BE, en ee ee es 109.9 4.3 ft. 6.1 ft. 
La Grange Dam...... 152.1 2.9 4.8 
TRAUIDBVEUC 46 cane es 198.1 2.4 2.8 to 3.2 
Mississippi River ....229.6 1.5 1.5 


Remarks: Grafton Gauge, 2.6 ft. 


These results indicate that an increment of four 
thousand one hundred sixty-seven (4,167) second- 
feet (250,000 minute-feet), which is the volume con- 
ceded by Federal permits, would give about five and 
two-tenths (5.2) feet above standard low water to Ha- 


84 


vana, three and eight-tenths (3.8) feet at La Grange 
and two and seven-tenths (2.7) feet at Kampsville. 
Prior to the present lock and dam project (1880) 
a channel four (4) feet deep had been produced 
through all the bars and these stages would give 
in such channels seven (7) feet or more from Havana 
to Pearl and six and seven-tenths (6.7) feet at 
Kampsville, diminishing to five and five-tenths (5.5) 
feet at the mouth. The last profile from soundings 
in 1902 shows that a depth better than seven (7) feet 
would obtain below Kampsville, but that depths 
on shoals in the Kampsville pool have so depreciated 
that some dredging would be required in the lower 
end of the pool to give the equivalent depth of seven 
(7) feet contemplated by the lock and dam project. 


The Comparison shows that the estimates of Mar- 
shall and Cooley for stages due to five thousand 
(5,000) second-feet were very conservative in re- 
spect to actual stages produced during the low 
water of 1904; in other words, steady flow produces 
higher stages than is indicated by unsteady flow and 
phasing conditions. 


The Increment of 10,000 Second-feet in its effect 
on stage is not determined by experience. The pro- 
ject profile of the Ernst Board (Survey 1902-4) is 
based on a material improvement in the depth and 
capacity of the stream and is therefore not a cri- 
terion of stages in the natural river bed. The flow 
hne is everywhere lower than the estimates of Mar- 
shall and Cooley and coincide with the exnerience 
stage for half the volume at La Grange, being slight- 
lv below the same at Havana and somewhat above 
at Kampsville; in other words, the projected im- 


85 


provement in the river bed seems to be equivalent to 
half the increment; again, the stages due to an incre- 
ment of ten thousand (10,000) second-feet and the 
projected fourteen (14) foot channel are less than 
those produced by the dams except under low water 
conditions at the upper ends of the pools. 


The Conclusions from the foregoing analyses are 
that an increment of four thousand one hundred 
sixty-seven (4,167) second-feet, conceded by Federal 
permits, would give seven (7) feet on the Lydecker 
profile of 1879, with the aid of some slight dredging 
between Pearl and Hardin and that an increment 
of five thousand (5,000) second-feet would give a 
clear seven (7) feet throughout. Under the pro- 
file of 1902-3, some re-dredging would be required on 
the bars which have filled since the lock and dam 
project was adopted. The river below Havana, as 
contrasted with the river above, has much greater 
declivity, larger channel capacity, and a better de- 
fined stream bed, a less proportion of deep pools 
and a better sustained low water volume, all of which 
indicate difference in regimen and in the effect of 
increments of water. 


25. The Removal of the Dams, State and Fed- 
eral, and the improvement of the stream by dredg- 
ing in conjunction with an increment of water from 
Lake Michigan has been the declared policy of the 
State of [Illinois since the Main Channel was au- 
thorized in 1889. This was the original conception 
and its definite promotion began with the Preston 
project of 1857-8, but it was dismissed temporarily 
on false premises in 1867-8 to be resumed in 1885-9. 
The history of the matter is set forth at length in 


86 


Topics 18 and 19 and it is only necessary to recall 
here the leading facts respecting the Federal dams. 

(a) By joint resolution in 1889, the General As- 
sembly of Illinois requested the United States to 
stop work on the dams at La Grange and Kamps- 
ville and change its project to an open channel im- 
provement by dredging in conjunction with an in- 
erement of water from Lake Michigan, and to co- 
operate in the production of a deep waterway, not 
less than twenty-two (22) feet deep across the Chi- 
cago Divide, not less than fourteen (14) feet on a 
progressive plan for a greater depth in the upper 
Illinois, and for all the depth feasible by the aid of a 
water supply in the lower Illinois. 


(b) By joint resolution in 1897 requesting the re- 
moval of the Federal dams at La Grange and 
Kampsville, which meantime had been completed, 
and reiterating the policy laid down in the joint reso- 
lution of 1889. 


(c) By the Constitutional Amendment of 1908, 
based on the report of the Internal Improvement 
Commission of 1907, which defined an ultimate chan- 
nel development twenty-four (24) feet deep to Peoria 
and eighteen (18) to twenty (20) feet deep thence to 
the Mississippi River. The preliminary depth below 
Joliet to be not less than fourteen (14) feet as out- 
lined in the preceding joint resolutions. 


The Feasibility of the fourteen (14) foot project 
was Officially recognized by the Barlow Board in 
1900-1, and the project was definitely planned and 
estimated from elaborate surveys and examinations 
in the Report of the Ernst Board in 1905. The 
project was further endorsed by the Bixby Board 


87 


in its report of 1909, which was particularly devoted 
to the determination of a fourteen (14) foot project 
below St. Louis. In fact, the practicability of the 
Illinois program has never been questioned in official 
reports, but adverse opinions have been expressed 
respecting its expediency. 

The Congress, by the joint resolution of April 21, 
1904, authorized the cutting down of the crests of the 
Federal dams by two (2) feet, and this was done by 
the Sanitary District at Kampsville in 1904-6, but 
was not done at La Grange. The removal of these 
dams was discussed before the Senate Committee on 
Commerce in 1912 (Topic 19), but the conclusion 
is in abeyance pending action respecting the State 
dams at Henry and Copperas Creek. 

The Special Board of Engineers, appointed in 
1910, to consider, among other things, co-operation 
with the State of Illinois, made a preliminary report 
on January 23, 1911, which was virtually withdrawn 
by the President’s message of December 21, 1911, on 
the protest of the Governor of the State and the 
Chairman of the Internal Improvement Commission, 
and by reason of the fact that the General Assem- 
bly had not provided for conferees. No further ac- 
tion having been taken, the Board adopted its prelim- 
inary findings in the final report of August 15, 1913, 
(H. R. 762, 63d Cong., 2d Sess.), for a navigable depth 
of eight (8) feet, to be obtained by the aid of the pres- 
ent dams—Federal and State—and a water supply of 
one thousand (1,000) second-feet only, said depth 
to be increased in the future to nine (9) feet, or 
that of the Ohio River improvement, if justified by 
growth of commerce. The Board of Engineers for 


88 


Rivers and Harbors (December 16, 1913), in review- 
ing the report reiterates its findings of January 30, 
1911, so far as relates to Lllinois: 


(a) The Lower [llnois Improvement should be 
deferred until the diversion of water is finally deter- 
mined. ‘‘Not only may this affect the attitude of 
the State toward the work (Upper Illinois), but also 
when the approximate minimum flow is known, it 
may be found advisable to substitute open channel 
work for the four existing locks and dams that are 
retained in the plan of the Special Board.’’ 


(b) The State should be conceded full control of 
water power in the Upper Illinois, but in considera- 
tion thereof it should complete this part of the work 
without aid from the United States. 


(c) As a condition precedent to any Federal co- 
operation the cost of remedial works for correction 
of lake levels and all damages between Lake Mich- 
igan and the Mississippi River should be assumed in 
perpetuity. The cost of such remedial work, as lim- 
ited to the Niagara and St. Clair Rivers, is estimated 
at four hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars 
($475,000) with fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) 


- annually for maintenance. 


Respecting the Illinois program, Congress has not 
gone further than to authorize the determination of 
projects for a navigable depth of fourteen (14) feet 
between the lakes and the gulf, and through the In- 
ternational Commission provided for in 1902 and the 
Special Board provided for in 1910, to determine the 
effect of diversion on lake levels and the remedies 
therefor. The War Department, however, has un- 
dertaken to test its authority under the Act of March 


89 


3, 1899, by bringing an issue respecting the diversion 
at Chicago of any volume of water, in excess of four 
thousand one hundred and sixty-seven (4,167) sec- 
ond-feet and this issue has been pending since March 
23, 1908 (additional bill October 6, 1913), and the 
officers of the Department may be subject to some 
embarrassment in giving affirmative interpretations 
to Acts of Congress and reporting deep water pro- 
jects which are conditioned by a large water supply 
diverted from the Great Lakes. 


In view, however, of the fact that the issue, as 
now defined, is to restrict any volume in excess of 
four thousand one hundred and sixty-seven (4,167) 
second-feet, and that such volume is entirely ade- 
quate to a depth of eight (8) feet in the Illinois 
River, without the aid of the State and Federal dams, 
and at a cost for dredging of less than the official 
estimate for eight (8) feet with the dams, it is pre- 
sumed that the recommendation of the Special 
Board, made in 1911, and based on a volume of one 
thousand (1,000) second-feet is now obsolete and 
that the caution of the Reviewing Board, as above 
set forth (a), is justified. The fact is the volume 
of water conceded in the Federal issue, warrants the 
removal of all the dams in the Lower Illinois, irre- 
spective of the question of whether deeper water 
than eight (8) feet is wise or otherwise. 


26. Flood Overflow of the Mississippi bottoms 
opposite the mouth of the [Illinois begins at about 
the seventeen and five-tenths (17.5) foot stage on the 
Grafton gauge and becomes general at about the 
twenty-two and five-tenths (22.5) foot stage, such 
stages corresponding in elevation to the natural low 


a] 


wae 


waters between Sangamon River and Copperas 
Creek. The following floods have exceeded stages of 
twenty-two and five-tenths (22.5) feet on the Grafton 
gauge. The record being complete from 1880 to 
1913, inclusive: 








Year. Stage. Authority. 

S48: ise 5% wee ee ee 32.16’ Woermann. 

LSS. 25. eee eee ve 30.64’ Woermann. 

DRAB. he sda celeb rien eee B00. Woermann. 

Uh ee Pe ee eat Ee 22.9" Durham. 

DO BD giclee cine oe tee aiden ee 23.1’ Durham. 

LB: nse 3 oe ee wtatiet as pee ee 23.14’ Woermann, Durham 23.3’ 
112) Ree ee Cee yea en PI Be Durham, Woermann. 
POS, MbUGO Ss o ot. Settee 28.65’ Woermann, Durham 28.4’ 
ROG PEN ait cong gsss axle eee 24.08’ Woermann, Durham 24.0’ 
OS eters cicteane sie ete ae ae 23.8’ Durham. 

DOO oc sits 2 cece a ae et 22.6’ Durham. 

jG 1 Se ae a 23.5’ Durham. 


Overflow Stages were absent in the following 
years as indicated by readings of less than seven- 
teen and five-tenths (17.5) feet on the Grafton 





Year. Stage. Authority. 
PERS ea. peobte ten ee ae i iy hg Durham. 

RGR Y te hee. 8 eee eee 12.6' Durham. 

HESS oe edie & are sits 14.4’ Durham. 

5 Re) Ca MeO amt Ke gee  m Al 14.4’ Durham, Woermann 14.64’ 
ASOD SB eo ee a 14.9’ Durham. 

OG cha era ey Ee ena e 14.3’ Durham. 

DSA 4 ty wet ea, eee 14.3’ Durham. 

ABR 6 AG te ba eee 7.6" Durham. 

WBOS. ei eect ak eens 16:4. Durham. 

POD, co ade make ete aly €= ig Durham. 

TORT 2 a tee eee eee 16.6’ Durham. 

AS ioe od eae ee eee 14.3’ Durham. 

2OES Co OAs we eee 15.4’ Durham. 





It appears that in a period of thirty-four (34) 
years, thirteen (13) high waters have ranged within 
the banks, that twelve (12) high waters have cor- 
responded to varying degrees of overflow and that 


91 


nine (9) high waters have produced complete over- 
flows. 


The backwater is material in its effect in the lower 
valley and the profiles of great floods indicate that 
such effects reach up to and above Beardstown. 


Measured Flood Stages in 1904 at Twelve Mile 
Island above the mouth ranged from sixty thou- 
sand (60,800) to one hundred thousand (100,000) 
second-feet, varying with the relative stage in the 
Mississippl. 

Five Characteristic Floods, referred to the stand- 
ard low water of 1879 in the Illinois, and to plus one 
and eight hundredths (1.08) feet on Grafton gauge, 
are tabulated as follows: 











Below June, April, 

Loeality. Utica, 1844. 1903. 1904, 1883. 1913. 
Copperas Creek.... 92.8 miles 24.8’ 12.4’ 20.7’ 19.7’ 20.5’ 
(5 109.9 «* 21.9’ 12.2’ 19.8’ 20.5’ 20.0’ 
Sangamon River 

(Browaine) ....129.8 ‘* 22.6’ tse 20.1’ 21.4’ 22.8’ 
Beardstown ...... iN ee 22.7’ 14.6’ 20.2’ 22.0’ 22.0’ 
ay Gtenoe....... toe, Lips 23.3/ 16.0’ 20.4’ 21.8’ celiiats 
Bieredosig. ........158.7  ** 24.1’ 16.27" 20.3’ 21.4’ 22.8’ 
Lis) NF a 186.6.."* 26.5’ 20.6’ 19.4’ 20.4’ 20.8’ 
Mampeviiie .......198.1 ‘* 29.3’ 24.2” 20.7’ 22.1’ 22.15! 
Ieee kas, 208.4 << 30.2’ 25.6’ 20.4’ 22.37 


a 229.6 « 31.1’ 27.5’ 18.8’ 22.1’ 19.5 





The Flood of 1884 is the greatest known at St. 
Louis and in the Illinois Valley and also in the lower 
part of the Missouri River Basin and the Upper Mis- 
sissippi River Basin. It produced extraordinary 
readings on the gauges at Peoria and above and in 
the lower part of the [llinois River, but these stages 
are greatly reduced opposite the broad bottoms from 
Havana to Beardstown, although still higher than 
any other known flood. Presumably the stages would 


92 


have continued undiminished had overflow been Jim- 
ited at the Great Sangamon bottoms. 


The Flood of June, 1903, was second to 1844 at St. 
Louis, exceeded 1844 in the Missouri River at Kan- 
sas City and was an extraordinary flow in the Upper 
Mississippi, but was only a bank-full flood in the 
Illinois, except as affected by back-water, which 
reached above Beardstown. Both this flood and that 
of 1844 are characteristic of back-water effects. 


The Flood of 1904 represents very uniform flood 
conditions throughout the Illinois River Basin with 
the Mississippi River nearly at a relative stage, so 
that its profile has been taken as standard. This 
is the highest general flood for the last forty (40) 
years and its measured volume at Pear] (117,000 sec- 
ond-feet) may be the maximum, owing to absence of 
backwater. 


The Floods of 1883 and 1913 are both higher than 
1904, from Havana to the mouth, due to floods from 
the central basin, but the excess in stage lessens 
down stream. The flood of 1913, at the mouth of 
the Sangamon was higher even than that of 1844, 
but is seven-tenths (0.7) foot lower at Beardstown 
and identical with 1883, thence falls off rapidly in 
relation to 1844, but is better sustained than 1883, 
independent of Mississippi back-water. It appears, 
therefore, that the central basin is an important flood 
factor in the lower division of the river, as well as 
the back-water from the Mississippi. It may be, 
however, that the extensive drainage work and 
straightening of channel in the lower Sangamon 
basin, together with the very large proportion of 
the bottom lands under levee opposite the La Grange 


93 


and Kampsville pools, executed in recent years, have 
materially accentuated the flood stage of 1913. 


27. A Summary of the Salient Facts respecting 
the lower division of the Lower Illinois Valley is set 
forth as follows (see also T. 20): 


(a) The Lower Division includes about two- 
thirds (2/3) the area of the valley, one-half (4) the 
water, five-sixths (5/6) of the lands under reclama- 
tion and one-third (1/3) the amount of damage 
claims from overflow. Damage claims, opposite the 
Kampsville pool, are about forty per cent (40%) of 
those opposite the La Grange pool, assumed to be 
due in part to the cutting down by two (2) feet of 
the Kampsville dam in 1904-6. Reclamation repre- 
sents seventy-two per cent (72%) of all lands sub- 
ject to overflow outside the river bed and this is im- 
portant on flood regimen. 

(b) The bars below Copperas Creek were dredged 
to a depth of four (4) feet prior to 1880. The Fed- 
eral dams and locks were authorized in 1880, and 
the work at La Grange opened in 1889-90, and at 
Kampsville in 1893. The locks are of the same di- 
mensions as those at Henry and Copperas Creek, but 
have one (1) foot additional or seven (7) feet on the 
mitre sills. The expenditure under the project of 
1880, including dredging, was one million, five hun- 
dred and sixty-six thousand, nine hundred and eight- 
een dollars and ten cents ($1,566,918.10), to June 30, 
1913. 

(c) The fill in the river bed between the profiles 
of 1867 and 1879 and 1902-3 is limited to deep places 
and a few bars, while other bars show the effect of 
dredging, but the time under dams has been too short 


94 


for tributary contributions to reach the main chan- 
nel in notable quantities, and the steeper declivity 
and smaller proportion of deep water lessens the ap- 
parent effect in relation to the Upper Division. The 
measurements of 1903-4, in comparison with 1888-9, 
seem to indicate a diminished bank-full capacity, 
presumably due to the dams. 

(d) The increment of four thousand one hundred 
sixty-seven (4,167) second-feet, conceded by Fed- 
eral permits, gives seven (7) feet in the channel of 
1879, with limited dredging below Pearl (and under 
the improvement plane recently adopted for the Mis- 
sissippi River). 

An increment of five thousand (5,000) second-feet 
gives seven (7) feet everywhere, except a few bars 
which require redredging. 

The official profile for the fourteen (14) foot pro- 
ject (Ernst Board, 1905,) by dredging and an in- 
erement of ten thousand (10,000) second-feet, actu- 
ally corresponds to the experience profile for an 
increment of five thousand (5,000) second-feet; in 
other words, the channel improvement by dredg- 
ing in this project seems to be equivalent to five 
thousand (5,000) second-feet. A depth of eighteen 
(18) to twenty (20) feet by means of dredging, and 
an increment of fifteen thousand (15,000) second-feet 
as suggested by the Report of 1907 (Internal in- 
provement Commission of Illinois) is more feasible 
than supposed. 

(e) The Federal dams can form no part of a deep 
water project and must be removed as a condition 
precedent. The fall over the dams on the experience 
profile of 1904 was, at La Grange, four and two- 
tenths (4.2) feet, and at Kampsville five and nine- 


at 


95, 


tenths (5.9) feet, or several times that at Henry and 
Copperas Creek, so these dams are far more potent 
in their effect on ordinary flow and bank-full capac- 
ity. They are regarded as unnecessary by the Ernst 
Board (1905) with an increment of four thousand 
two hundred (4,200) second-feet. 

~The Special Board which reported in 1911 and 
again in 1913 proposes to utilize these dams (also 
the State dams) in a project for eight (8) feet and 
a volume of one thousand (1,000) second-feet, but 
the Reviewing Board does not concur and suggests 
that the project be deferred pending the determina- 
tion of the minimum increment from Lake Michigan, 
which may render them unnecessary. The Bill of 
Complaint of the United States concedes an incre- 
ment of four thousand one hundred sixty-seven 
(4,167) second-feet, so no real issue exists respecting 
such increment of water as justifies the removal of 
the Federal dams. 

(f) Back-water effect from the Mississippi River 
is a Serious factor in many overflow floods, and again 
floods local to the central basin are sometimes im- 
posed upon head water floods with extraordinary 
stages below Havana. This latter menace has been 
greatly accentuated by drainage works in the Lower 
Sangamon and by the reclamation of some seventy- 
two per cent (72%) of the overflow areas. In addi- 
tion, local reports indicate that the tributary detritus 
is now coming to the main stream and that the pools 
are rapidly depreciating. These facts, together with 
the relatively higher dams and the attendant check- 
ing of flow, indicate that the early removal of the 
Federal dams is of even greater importance than the 
removal of the State dams. 


96 


E—Conclusion. 


28. (1.) The Illinois River Basin has some 
twenty-eight thousand (28,000) square miles and is 
more uniformly fertile than any other basin of like 
magnitude. Its topographic relief is very gentle 
and its surface in nature has a large proportion of 
Swamp and a small proportion of timber in the north- 
ern confines. / The flood volume was moderate, com- 
pared to the streams of hill countries, and its low 
water volume was originally well sustained until the 
Swamps were drained, when extraordinary low 
water ensued, due to non-permeable subsoils and 
water consumption by vegetal cover in the gruwing 
season. The general reclamation of the swamps and 
tillage has made floods more erratic, prolonged the 
low water season and diminished its volume and 
enormously increased the supply of detritus. 


(2) / The Illinois River was originally an outlet 
of Lake Michigan and the floods of its source stream, 
the Desplaines, traversed the Chicago Divide to both 
the lake and the river until 1909. 


The Illinois and Michigan Canal was projected 
so as to feed from Lake Michigan and the old out- 
let was restored on a much larger scale by the 
opening of the Drainage Canal in 1900, with a capac- 
ity of about three-quarters (3/4) of the average flow 
of the Illinois River at its mouth. 


~ The Illinois River is the remnant, or survival, of 
the ancient outlet, and the very low declivity of the 
Lower Illinois, its course and character of bed and 
the low elevation of its bottom lands, indicate only 
partial adaptation to modern conditions. The stream 


97 


is unable to cope with the increasing burdens due to 
inhabitation, and the restoration of a large and per- 
sistent flow, in a suitable channel, is conservative 
against the agencies which promote a decaying river 
bed. / 

(3.) The Illinois Basin has two divisions. The 
Upper Division above Peoria is comparatively re- 
cent and non-erosive, so that the upper half of the 
Lower Illinois is less changed by detritus, and has a 
slope of less than one (1) inch per mile; while the 
lower half has a slope of two (2) inches per mile, 
with better filled-in bottoms, representing the more 
friable soils of the central and lower basins. The 
flood regimen is thus divided and may come from 
either part of the basin separately, or in order of 
suecession, or the central basin flood may be imposed 
on high water from above. All these conditions do 
obtain, but ordinarily the Upper Basin flood follows 
that of the central basin. Again, floods in the Missis- 
sippi are relatively higher and have a profound ef- 
fect on the valley with only twenty-eight (28) feet fall 
in two hundred and thirty (230) miles, and oceasion- 
ally a flood like that of 1903 in the Missouri will back 
in to the Illinois Valley. Some seventy-two per cent 
(72%) of the overflow lands below Havana are under 
levee or undergoing reclamation, and some twenty- 
eight per cent (28%) above. Such restriction of flood 
overflow must have a profound effect on flood regi- 
men, but these reclamation works are comparatively 
recent and have not yet manifested their effect in a 
great flood, unless that of 1913 be indicative. The 
effect of this reelamation is to restrict a further de- 
velopment of Illinois fisheries which, in proportion 


98 


to extent, are the most valuable fresh water fisheries 
in the United States. 

(4.) The first project for the radical improve- 
ment of the Lower [llinois River was by John B. 
Preston, in 1857-8, by means of an increment of wa- 
ter from Lake Michigan, but this was dismissed by 
the Federal Reports of 1866-8, by reason of the ex- 
cessive cost, due to an illy-considered design for the 
feeding channel across the Chicago Divide. 


The lock and dam scheme followed with the State 
dam at Henry, opened in 1871, and the State dam at 
Copperas Creek, opened in 1877, the United States 
co-operating in the dredging of channels. The Fed- 
eral dams followed, the dam at La Grange opened in 
1889-90, and the dam at Kampsville opened in 1893. 
The lock and dam project was opposed in official cir- 
cles and by steamboat interests, as an error in an 
alluvial stream of slight declivity. The riparian in- 
terests, at the time, had a nominal value, and only 
recently under reclamation have they become impor- 
tant; otherwise, the lock and dam scheme would not 
have been tolerated. 


(5.) The Chicago Sanitary Project and its water- 
way relations, authorized by the General Assembly 
in 1889, restored the original conception of the im- 
provement of the Lower Illinois by means of an in- 
erement of water from Lake Michigan, in conjunc- 
tion with dredging, and such legislation contem- 
plated removal of the State and Federal dams, and 
the development of a deep waterway progressively 
from a preliminary depth of fourteen (14) feet below 
Joliet. The report of the Internal Improvement 
Commission of Illinois for 1907, defined the depth in 


99 


extension of the Chicago Drainage Canal at twenty- 
four (24) feet to Peoria, and eighteen (18) to twenty 
(20) feet thence to the Mississippi, and the Constitu- 
tional Amendment of 1908 followed and provided for 
the expenditure of twenty million dollars ($20,000,- 
000) for the development of the waterway and inci- 
dental water power in the Upper Illinois Valley, be- 
tween Lockport and Utica. 


The Board of Engineers in 1909 determined the 
feasibility of producing fourteen (14) feet at ex- 
treme low water from St. Louis to the Gulf. 


(6.) The State and Federal dams still remain in 
the river and have occasioned vexation in spirit and 
grievous claims for damage against the Sanitary 
District of Chicago which would have been avoided 
had the dams been promptly removed and a dredging 
program entered upon. The claims now aggregate 
over eight million dollars ($8,000,000) and the grow- 
ing riparian interests of the valley are insisting that 
the water required for the sanitation of Chicago 
shall be restricted until conditions are changed. 


(7.) The present study and the profiles hereto 
attached show extraordinary depreciation in the 
pools created by the State dams at Henry and at 
Copperas Creek, such depreciation amounting to 
thirty per cent (80%) in the original low water chan- 
nel and lessening the bank-full capacity by fifteen 
(15) to twenty (20) per cent. This effect occurred 
prior to the soundings of 1903, since which no gen- 
eral survey of the river has been made. The pools 
created by the Federal dams show some deprecia- 
tion in the deep places and betterments due to dredg- 
ing on the shoals with some exceptions, but these 


100 


pools had not been in existence long enough prior to 
1902-3 for the tributary contributions to reach the 
main stream, but local information indicates that 
much filling has since occurred. These dams are rel- 
atively much higher than the State dams and in them- 
selves appear to have materially diminished the bank- 
full capacity of the stream. If the tendencies, exhib- 
ited by the survey of 1903, continue, they will rad- 
ically diminish the capacity of the river bed even 
though depths for navigation be maintained by 
dredging narrow channels through the bars, and the 
effect will be to lift the horizon of the river bed and 
the overflow plane, to the detriment of unreclaimed 
lands and the peril of reclamation works. 


(8.) The salvation of the Illinois Valley is the 
immediate removal of both State and Federal dams 
and a program of radical deepening by dredging, so 
as to greatly increase the capacity of the river with- 
in its proper banks and the supplying to such deep- 
ened stream of a large and constant volume of water 
for the maintenance of a scouring velocity. There is 
no limit to the depth which may be produced except 
the increment of water, and if the channel be so fash- 
ioned as to give the best results, it will have a larger 
surplus capacity for natural drainage than in a con- 
dition of nature. The experience with steady flow 
shows that the increment of four thousand one hun- 
dred sixty-seven (4,167) second-feet, conceded by 
Federal permits, will produce a depth equivalent to 
that by the dams with nominal dredging at a few 
points. The Ernst Board (1905) reported that such 
volume will make practicable a depth considerably © 
greater than seven (7) feet. The conditional appre- 


101 


priation of one million dollars ($1,000,000) made in 
1910, if applied to the Lower [linois, would produce 
a channel depth of eight (8) feet or more. This is 
less than the estimate of the Special Board (1911 and 
1913), for a similar depth by means of the dams and 
a water supply of one thousand (1,000) second-feet. | 
As this minimum volume is not in issue in the Fed- 
eral case at Chicago, the conditions actually exist 
which led the Board of Review to suggest the open 
channel treatment as the alternative to the recom- 
mendations of the Special Board. There remains, 
therefore, no physical or other reason why these 
dams should not be removed and an open channel 
treatment entered upon without further delay. 


(9.) No additional legislation is required for the 
removal of the State dams. Itis a matter of mutual 
understanding and accommodation between the 
Canal Commissioners who have charge of the State 
Works and Trustees of the Sanitary District of Chi- 
cago to be brought about through the good offices of 
the Governor of this State; otherwise, tedious litiga- 
tion may be involved. The removal of the Federal 
dams must be sanctioned by Congress. This matter 
was taken up before the Senate Committee on Com- 
merce in 1912 and consideration deferred, pending 
action for the removal of the State dams. Again 
the subject matter is up to the Chief Executive of 


this State. 
Lyman EK. Coouey. 


of 





103 


APPENDIX I. 


Expenditures on Illinois River. 


Federal Expenditures. 


Appropriated, August 30, 1852...........-......+2--- $ 30,000.00 

Allotted from appropriation for Western Rivers, 1867. 20,000.00 

eeemirve AMortment, 1869 i ic ci cc sce sca e beeen 84,150.00 

Appropriated, July 11, Cg 2 ee 100,000.00 

March 3, PRAT: BSS eh Ala i Rick dba ia" yore ain 100,000.00 

nt June 23, 1874 a aT epee bie ime Sieh hn) 9 a 908 75,000.00 

a March 3. che eae aS) vss # visite bile !a, wire edi 0 -« 75,060.00 

5 Pt Eg UCR platelet ciceiogia one, Be secs eee 40,000.00 

- BE OE NE Fe NS 2 75,000.00 

us Mae MOIR Gg PY TO tin Secreta, ww a 1a. (6) bilan an nie fo, 2's 40,000.00 

ee MR ee oie mac arcs 110,000.00 

‘ DO MAERON teh RIE Ss Ata ate iiuc in pve dh p'ey 3 eee a'9 « 250,000.00 

oy DUNN fea RO geal Wins uiein Bayld 4x Wie Yom onee 175,000.00 

ee UE PR ith, Gites iten «ne vs 100,000.00 

Zz eC eT AEE coc Sh tlntis ce anes «s,s 112,500.00 

me Pe 8 MOSS inte ate xioye 5 sive View Wak 0 200,000.00 

. ROMCeMACT 29, LBOO cones tiie eles ks sone 200,000.00 

a SE BG a0 ne a en 100,000.00 

ec PRM ABS 1898S Acoc oes dns, be gis ves 2 35,000.00 

r AEE ec a ener) (ne ne ee 40,000.00 

6 eRe E N32 atv ans idccoie 100,000.00 

ae COMET Ad RM, 2 oie ccphal y w.c a wiaSs sii) is,» ‘siete 75,000.00 

fs March 2, 1907, above Copperas Creek... 50,000.00 

a CR Mi iasist aig. 6) ss, bn oli ein ps Se 080 50,000.00 

BUREN Soo MARLENE ok ap nse dich suspic vein Wie whe, “a ei elt ao 30,000.00 

Zy PUNE Sag Ei. ee situs & hk lip eats aoa ise) 8g 0 20,000.00 

oa Me eh nat hs ule phe aw 4 100,000.00 

Total, appropriations and allotments............. $2,386,650.00 

Amount required to complete existing projects........ 92,000.00 
Maintenance and operation of locks and dams allotted 

POM) INGCUNALS APPTOPTIALIONS... 0.6 .0ce cee ceaces 305,176.26 
Survey of fourteen foot waterway, Lockport to St. 


Louis, June 13, 1902 (Report 1905)............... 200,000.00 


Of the foregoing, the allotment for 1867, $20,000, 
and $25,000 of the appropriation of 1888, together 
with some minor allotments not scheduled above, 
have been applied to surveys. 


The Lock and Dam Project of 1880, below Cop- 
peras Creek, has received all moneys appropriated 
since 1879, except $25,000 applied to surveys and 


104 


$50,000 applied to channel improvements above Cop- 
peras Creek, and includes a balance from former ap- 
propriations. 


Balance from appropriations, prior to 1880............ $ 38,337.81 
Appropriated 1880 to 1913, inclusive... ........053 si 1,672,500.00 
Total available... 5: 4s 4.5% sede ememae aleee $1,710,837.81 
Unexpended June 30, 1913, including $3,958.67 from 
Other Sources... 66 lie ses vce’ ole dale oe 147,878.38 


Of the appropriation of $50,000 for the improvement of 
the channel above Copperas Creek, there remained 
unexpended June 30, 1913, including $144.83 re- 
ceived from other sources... .. 123055 «aes eee 7,398.43 
The amount appropriated and allotted prior to 1880, ex- 
cept the appropriation of 1852, $30,000, and $20,000 
for surveys (1867) and $38,337.81 carried over to 
the project of 1580, was.) .):/ ssa seen eee 550,812.19 
Channel improvement of four feet 
through bars below Copperas Creek .$393,379.00 
Dredging bars in Copperas Creek pool, 
and removing snags and wrecks 
below La Salle, including $10,973.43 
(appx.) for engineering and super- 
VUBDOM) & se: Sih ate eiabe, ol icles tek ere eae 95,074.29 
Foundation Copperas Creek lock...... 62,358.90 
(The division of expenditures above and below Cop- 
peras Creek is approximate.) 
The appropriation of $30,000 in 1852 was expended 
in dredging bars in 1852-4, and the good effect is noted 
by Abert in 1866. 
The La Grange Dam was opened October 21, 1889, and 
the cost of operation and maintenance to June 30, 
1913, NAS BOCs. 2604 be as ats ce ie ep eee 171,699.93 
The Kampsville Dam was opened September 30, 1893, 
and the cost of operation and maintenance to June 


30; 1913) haw been. . 065 4s.ac0 4a ae eee eee 133,475.33 
The total for operation and maintenance of the Federal 
Dams has Dee@m.’. 22s )<ss's ein wi nee mee eee 305,175.26 


State Expenditures. 
The Henry Lock and Dam was opened October 19, 1871, 


BUA. CORE. lassi Bales cetera we aoe eee 400,000.00 
The Copperas Creek Lock and Dam was opened October 
21, A877, AND COSt ius. 5 ace Aiee eee ee 347,747.51 


The total expenditure (from surplus canal revenue)...$ 747,747.51 
The cost of maintenance and operation prior to 1890 for 


the Henry Lock and Dam was. vi. ...4.%) . ene oe $ 32,615.30 
The cost for the Copperas Creek Lock and Dam was... 38,256.55 
The total, cost’ to. 1890 Was, ..:....002..555ee eee ee $ 70,871.85 


105 


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109 


SUPPLEMENT. 


The Waterway Relations of the Sanitary and 
Ship Canal of Chicago. 


1. An Increment of Water from Lake Michigan 
for the low water improvement of the alluvial Illinois 
between Utica and the Mississippi River, was the un- 
derlying conception in early projects for an enlarged 
navigation between Lake Michigan and the Missis- 
sippi River. It was the governing idea in the project 
of John B. Preston in 1857-8, in the report on sewage 
disposal by the city authorities of Chicago in 1860, 
in the joint resolution of the General Assembly in 
1861, the bill before the Congress was a war meas- 
ure in 1862, and in the Chicago Waterway Conven- 
tion of 1863; but it was dismissed as ‘‘impracticable 
at any reasonable cost’’ by the Federal examination 
of 1866-7, by reason of an unfortunate design and 
estimate for the feeding channel across the Chicago 
Divide. 

The Alternative Lock and Dam Project was initi- 
ated by the State in 1867, and the work at Henry 
opened in 1871, and at Copperas Creek in 1877. The 
Federal project followed in 1880 with the work at La 
Grange, opened in 1889, and at Kampsville in 1893. 


The Solution of the Sanitary Problem of Chicago, 
by the dilution method, was exhaustively investi- 
gated by the City and State authorities in 1885-9, and 
promoted to a conclusion in Legislation by the Gen- 
eral Assembly in 1889. The water supply problem 


110 


thus provided for, the Waterway project reverted 
to the original conception but on a deep water basis. 

The Legislation of 1889, and all legislation since, 
contemplates a broad project of conservation involv- 
ing in one program, sanitary provision for Chicago 
and the valley cities, a deep waterway, harbor devel- 
opment at Chicago, water power, and reclamation of 
bottom lands. In furtherance of this program, pro- 
vision was made for removal of the State dams at 
Henry and at Copperas Creek and the United States 
was asked to change its project to an open channel to 
be improved by dredging in conjunction with a water 
supply from Lake Michigan and to otherwise co- 
operate in a deep-water policy. 


“*Fourteen Feet Through the Valley’’ is the legis- 
lative intent, and represents the feasible depth by an 
increment of ten thousand (10,000) second-feet, the 
minimum capacity provided for the Main Channel 
of the Sanitary District, and also the river improve- 
ment required to avoid accentuation of overflows. 


The Conflicting Interests of the Canal Commis- 
sioners and the Federal engineers prevented the re- 
moval of the dams at the opening of the Main Chan- 
nel (January, 1900), as contemplated by State law, 
and deferred the open channel program, all as set 
forth at length in the accompanying brief. What- 
ever reasons to the contrary may have existed here- 
tofore, the dams are now a nuisance to be abated at 
once. The increment of water in 1913 was sever 
thousand one hundred eighty-five (7,185) second-feet 
and the Sanitary District is prepared to increase the 
volume from time to time according to the legal 
requirement. The volume of water is now more than 


111 


adequate to the depths contemplated by the dam 
projects, and increases thereof, in the presence of 
the dams, will accentuate overflow and is the subject 
of protest in the valley. 


2. The Federal Report of the Ernst Board (oth- 
erwise known as the ‘‘Fourteen-foot Board’’) was 
based on elaborate and exhaustive surveys, cost- 
ing $200,000, made in 1902-4. (H. R. 263, 59th 
Cong., Ist Sess.) It finds that (p. 18) ‘‘The addi- 
tional flow provided by the Chicago Drainage Canai 
is now four thousand two hundred (4,200) second- 
feet. It will allow the removal of the present locks 
and dams, and will make practicable the maintenance 
of an open channel considerably deeper than the 
seven (7) feet now provided by these structures. The 
increase to ten thousand five hundred (10,500) see- 
ond-feet makes practicable a still greater open chan- 
nel.’’ And (p. 11) ‘‘In a future not remote, larger 
volumes of water may be needed for sanitary pur- 
poses and channels deeper than fourteen (14) feet 
will then become practicable in the open alluvial sec- 
tion of the Illinois River.”’ 


The Findings are significant as they follow the 
established flow of water through the Drainage 
Canal, and justify the considerations underlying the 
legislation of 1889 and later additions thereto. They 
verify the feasibility of the fourteen (14) foot pro- 
ject and point out that greater depths may be had 
with increments exceeding ten thousand (10,000) see- 
ond-feet. The Drainage Canal has an actual capac- 
ity of fourteen thousand (14,000) second-feet, and 
one thousand (1,000) to two thousand (2,000) seec- 
ond-feet additional may be had through the Illinois 


112 


and Michigan Canal. With such volume, the report 
of the Internal Improvement Commission of Illinois 
of 1907, finds that twenty-four (24) feet, the depth 
of the Drainage Canal, can be carried to Peoria and 
eighteen (18) to twenty (20) feet thence to the Mis- 
SiSsippl. 

The Special Board of U. S. Engineers, in its re- 
ports of 1911 and 1913 (H. KB. 762, 63d Cong. 
Sess.), favors depths of eight (8) and nine (9) feet 
and states that the same may be had with the aid of 
the present locks and dams and a volume of one thou- 
sand (1,000) second-feet; but the Reviewing Board 
recommends that this proposition be deferred until 
the diversion of water is finally determined: ‘‘ Not 
only may this affect the attitude of the State toward 
the work (Upper Illinois) but also, when the ap- 
proximate minimum flow is known, it may be found 
advisable to substitute open channel work for the 
four existing locks and dams that are retained in the 
plan of the Special Board.’’ 


The Mimmum Flow of four thousand one hundred 
sixty-seven (4,167) second-feet is conceded by Fed- 
eral permits and the pending case against the Sani- 
tary District of Chicago seeks only to enjoin the 
diversion of waters in excess thereof. The recom- 
mendation of the Special Board has, therefore, no 
standing in fact and falls back on the recommenda- 
tion of the Reviewing Board and the findings of the 
Ernst Board, which are to the effect that eight (8) 
or nine (9) feet may be had with such increment in 
an open channel and without the aid of the locks and 
dams. In view of the established minimum flow of 
4,167 second-feet there are, therefore, no official ob- 


113 


jections to the removal of the dams but positive 
recommendations for open channel treatment. 


3. Experience with Steady Flow in the upper 
half of the river, between Utica and Havana, indi- 
eates that an increment of four thousand one hun- 
dred and sixty-seven (4,167) second-feet (250,000 
minute-feet), produces a stage of five and one-half 
(54) feet to six and one-quarter (614) feet above the 
natural low water of the open river, or seven (7) 
to eight (8) feet on the original bars. This repre- 
sents nine (9) to ten (10) feet in the dredged chan- 
nel projected by Wilson as the alternative to the lock 
and dam scheme. 


The actual increment of five thousand (5,000) see- 
ond-feet gave better than six (6) feet above natural 
low water throughout. The profile of 1903 shows 
filling approaching to or even above natural low 
water in localities, but there is warrant for the sug- 
gestion that such filling has been arrested by reason 
of the increased flow. Again, the river bed has been 
deepened in localities under the -Federal appropria- 
tion of 1907. A re-sounding of the river bed is de- 
sirable. There is no question, however, but that the 
increment of 1913 was more than equivalent to the 
navigable depth of six (6) feet contemplated by the 
dams and that the maintenance of the volume re- 
quired by the organic law will increase the same. 
There is also no question that very limited dredging 
of the fills on bars which have occurred since the 
dams were built will give seven (7) feet without the 
aid of such dams with an increment of four thou- 
sand one hundred sixty-seven (4,167) second-feet. 


Experience with Steady Flow in the lower half 


114 


of the river between Havana and the mouth, indi- 
eates that an increment of four thousand one hun- 
dred sixty-seven (4,167) second-feet, or two hun- 
dred fifty thousand (250,000) minute-feet produces 
a depth of seven (7) feet with slight dredging 
between Pearl and Hardin in the channels, shown 
by the Lydecker profile in 1879, which represent- 
ed the results of river improvement by dredging 
in an open channel, 1871-9. By the profile of 1902-3, 
some re-dredging will be required on bars which have 
filled since the lock and dam project was adopted in 
1880; but these fills may have since been removed 
by pool dredging still in progress. An increment 
of five thousand (5,000) second-feet shows seven (7) 
feet throughout on the Lydecker profile. The incre- 
ment of 1913, and the volumes to be maintained 
under the organic law are adequate to the removal of 
the dams under any condition. A re-sounding of 
the river-bed is also desirable. 

The Beneficaal Effects on the Mississippi River im- 
provement are being utilized and the adopted low- 
water plane has been amended from a point twenty- 
five (25) miles above Grafton to St. Louis, such plane 
corresponding to one and five-tenths (1.5) feet above 
the old improvement plane at Grafton. This is sig- 
nificant in a project for six (6) feet of water and also 
by reason of the fact that the officer in charge of this 
district was a member of the Special Board whose 
report has been interpreted, in some quarters, as 
adverse to the open channel improvement by the aid 
of an increment of water from Lake Michigan. 


4. The Shrinkage of the River-bed, and the 
raising of its bottom through the ‘agency of the dams, 


os 


115 


are not arguments against their immediate removal 
by reason of any local deficiency in bar depths which 
they may have occasioned. This will probably cor- 
rect itself, or need but slight aid. This shrinkage 
in the period of thirty-six (36) years prior to 1903 
diminished the bank-full capacity by fifteen (15) to 
twenty (20) per cent in the portion of the river 
dominated by the State works. The shrinkage in the 
river dominated by the Federal works had mani- 
fested itself, to a lmited degree, prior to 1902-3, 
but the period under dams had been insufficient for 
tributary contributions to reach the main stream in 
large amounts. Local reports indicate, however, 
that extensive filling is now occurring. The Federal 
dams are relatively much higher than the State dams 
and in themselves appear to have diminished bank- 
full capacity by some twenty per cent (20%). This, 
together with shrinkage of river-bed, will produce 
an ultimate effect more serious than that due to the 
State dams. 


The Physical Conditions determine the expediency 
of removing the dams, apart from any question of 
navigation. They are detrimental to reclamation 
and to the fisheries; they accentuate the claims for 
damage against the Sanitary District; they promote 
rapid decay of the river, and their retention is dis- 
astrous to sanitary projects and conditions and to 
other schemes of conservation. 


Navigation will be prejudiced by the retention of 
the dams. Hight (8) or nine (9) feet, which measures 
the useful limits of depth in the minds of Federal 
engineers, can be had in an open channel with the 
conceded increment of four thousand one hundred 


116 


sixty-seven (4,167) second-feet and at no greater cost 
than estimated by the aid of the dams and a nominal 
water supply, and with practically no cost for main- 
tenance and operation. 


An Actual Appropriation of one million dollars 
($1,000,000) for the deep waterway was made by 
Congress in 1910, subject to an understanding with 
the State of Llinois. The Lakes-to-the-Gulf Deep 
Waterway Association, in 1912, sought to divert this 
appropriation to the dredging of the Lower Illinois 
in connection with the removal of the dams. The 
hearing in the matter developed the proposition that 
the State should act by removing its dams as a con- 
«ition precedent to the removal of the Federal dams 
and the application of the appropriation as re- 
quested. 


Oo. The Deep Waterway depends on increments 
of water in excess of four thousand one hundred six- 
ty-seven (4,167) second-feet, or two hundred fifty 
thousand (250,000) minute-feet, which is adequate 
to an open channel depth of eight (8) feet and nine 
(9) feet as suggested by the Federal Boards. State 
policy, as developed in the organic law of the Sani- 
tary District and collateral legislation, contemplated 
a feeding channel across the Chicago Divide, with a 
capacity of not less than ten thousand (10,000) sec- 
ond-feet, or six hundred thousand (600,000) minute- 
feet, and a navigable depth of fourteen (14) feet 
from Jolet to the Mississippi. The feeding channel 
was actually made of a capacity of fourteen thousand 
(14,000) second-feet, or eight hundred forty thou- 
sand (840,000) minute-feet. Summit level of the Ili- 
mois and Michigan Canal has an additional capacity 


ti 


of more than one thousand (1,000) second-feet, or 
sixty thousand to one hundred thousand, (60,000 to 
100,000) minute-feet operating to its full capacity in 
the manner prior to the opening of the Drainage 
Canal. 

The Internal Improvement Commission of Illinois 
in its report of 1907, recommended the extension of 
the depth of the Main Channel, twenty-four (24) 
feet, to Lake Joliet, that all structures in the Upper 
Illinois be constructed for an ultimate depth of 
twenty-four (24) feet, that the intermediate pools 
and Lower Illinois be given a preliminary channel 
depth of fourteen (14) feet and that water power 
should be developed under public ownership. It 
found that the depth of twenty-four (24) feet could 
be carried to the City of Peoria and eighteen (18) to 
twenty (20) feet thence to St. Louis. Upon this re- 
port, the General Assembly submitted the constitu- 
tional amendment, which was voted in 1908, authoriz- 
ing the expenditure of twenty million dollars ($20,- 
000,000) for the development of the waterway and 
incidental water power between Lockport and Utica. 


The Federal Report of the Barlow Board, in 
1900-1, determined the feasibility of producing a 
depth of fourteen (14) feet from Lockport to the 
Mississippi River. The elaborate report of the 
Ernst Board in 1905 submitted plans and estimates 
for such depth from Lockport to St. Louis, and is 
referred to above. The report of the Bixby Board 
in 1909 adopted the report of the Ernst Board and 
determined the practicability of extending fourteen 
(14) feet to the Gulf of Mexico, but this Board ques- 
tioned the economic justification for a depth exceed- 


118 


ing nine (9) feet. It thus appears that adverse opin- 
ion respecting the deep waterway turns on advisabil- 
ity and not on practicability. 

6. The Congress, in 1910, actually appropriated 
one million dollars ($1,000,000) to begin the. deep 
waterway, subject to the determination of a joint 
program between the United States and the State 
of Uhnois. A Special Board was authorized, but it 
reported prematurely and adversely in January, 
1911, and its findings were the subject of protest by 
the Governor and the report was practically with- 
drawn by the President in his message of December 
21, 1911. The Governor did not recommend to the 
Assembly the appointment of conferees and no ac- 
tion was taken by the State, presumably for the rea- 
son that the case had been pre-judged. The Special 
Board made its final report recently and its find- 
ings respecting the Lower Illinois are referred to 
above. It finds, further, that the diversion of the 
large volume of water proposed can be compensated 
by contracting the lake outlets at a cost of four hun- 
dred seventy-five thousand dollars ($475,000) with 
fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) annually for main- 
tenance, or about the same as the cost of maintaining 
and operating the two Federal dams at La Grange 
and Kampsville. It finds also that flood stages in 
the Mississippi River will not be materially in- 
creased. It reports adversely on the two dams in 
the Mississippi River which were intended to make 
practicable the extension of depths greater than 
fourteen (14) feet to the Lower Mississippi River at 
Cairo. But this is immaterial at this time and will 
be considered later. 


119 


A Large and Steady Volume of water is demanded 
by sanitary purposes at Chicago and in the valley 
and by the physical conditions in the water course. 
Such large volume automatically makes deep water 
and it may be utilized on the largest scale by a fed- 
eral expenditure less than was estimated in 1890 for 
the shallow waterway of eight (8) feet, constructed 
at the sole cost of the United States. On the other 
hand, deep water is not practicable without such 
large volume of water. Deep water to the Missis- 
sippi is, then, a necessity with or without the co- 
operation of the United States. Its advocates hold 
that it is justified without regard to the Mississippi 
River. 

The Lakes-to-the-Gulf Deep Waterway Associa- 
tion stands for the entire project. The annual con- 
vention at St. Louis in 1910 declared in favor of a 
preiminary depth of fourteen (14) feet, with all 
structures based on an ultimate depth of twenty-four 
(24) feet, and this program was reiterated at the 
convention at Chicago in 1911 and at the Little Rock 
Convention in 1912. 

7 The Delay in the Deep Waterway is due to a 
number of causes: 

(a) When the constitutional amendment was sub- 
mitted in 1907, the General Assembly directed the 
Governor and the Attorney-General to bring action 
for the ejectment of hydraulic parasites from the 
stream. The decision of the State Supreme Court in 
1909 was, in part, adverse and the General Assembly 
in 1911 directed an appeal to the Supreme Court of 
the United States and the case has been submitted 
and is now under advisement.* 





“Held June 22, 1914, that State cannot raise Fed- 
eral question.—( Kd.) 


120 


(b) Meantime, in 1909, a parallel case was 
- brought directly in the United States Circuit Court 
and the same was submitted February, 1913, and is 
still under advisement by Judge Landis. 


(c) In 1908 the United States filed a complaint 
against the diversion of waters from the Calumet 
River by way of the Sag Valley Canal. In 1913 a 
broader bill of complaint was filed against the diver- 
sion of any waters in excess of four thousand one 
hundred and sixty-seven (4,167) second-feet or two 
hundred and fifty thousand (250,000) minute-feet. 
The two cases have been joined, the testimony prac- 
tically taken and printed, and the final hearing is on 
in the Cireuit Court. 


The Former Governor urged action from the pass- 
age of the Constitutional amendment to the end of 
his term in 1913, even to the point of conceding rights 
to water power claimants, but the General Assembly 
was indisposed to release the twenty million dollars 
($20,000,000) until the rights in the stream had been 
determined and until the water supply was assured 
beyond recall and until some program of co-opera- 
tion with the United States had been agreed to which 
would not subvert and make abortive the policy of 
this state and the great expenditures made there- 
under and the further expenditures predicated 
thereon. 


The Interregnum has been utilized by shallow wa- 
terway advocates to deprecate the deep water move- 
ment and urge immediate results, but it is presumed 
that such advocates are ignorant of the fact that such 
limitation in depth blights and makes useless the 
investment for the sanitation of Chicago and the val- 


121 


ley; and further, that any limitation of water supply 
knocks out in effect the Constitutional Amendment 
under which the waterway investment is to be amor- 
tised by water power earnings. 

In other words, we come back to the dictum that 
an adequate water supply means deep water, and 
deep water means an adequate water supply. 


Lyman E. Coo.ey. 
May 18, 1914. 


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